Taniela Moa has already won two provincial rugby championships with Auckland and he can sense something similar building with his Bay of Plenty team in this year’s ITM Cup.

Unfortunately the 25-year-old won’t be there to see it come to fruition, announcing after yesterday’s 32-0 mauling of Wellington in Mount Maunganui that he was joining Tonga for their World Cup campaign.

Moa scored a try and helped set up two others as Bay of Plenty kept their unbeaten season going, inflicting the province’s biggest winning margin over the team from the Capital.

He admits he’s had a few second thoughts about leaving the Bay midway through the season – his final match will be against Taranaki next week – but he’s also thrilled to get a call-up from the Pacific Island nation.

“Right now I’m having a few second thoughts but everything’s already done,” Moa said.  “It will be sad to leave the boys, especially with the way we’re playing at the moment, but I’ve got to do the best for myself and my family.”

Moa helped Auckland beat Otago for the NPC title in 2005 in his first year but sees this Steamers campaign more in common with the unbeaten Auckland season in 2007, when they beat Wellington in the final.

“The way the boys are playing at the moment, I don’t see why we can’t do the same. There’s a really good feeling in the environment right now, our game plan is obviously working and the boys are performing well. We targeted 14 points from our first four games and we’re on 19 so we’re definitely on the right track.”

Bay of Plenty is five points clear at the top of the Premiership table, with Taranaki second on 14 points after four rounds.

Wellington, meanwhile, dropped back to fourth-equal after a meek display.

“We knew they were going to bring a lot of physicality and pace and we just didn’t rise to the challenge early enough,” Wellington No 8 Victor Vito said.  “To let a team like that get away to a 20-point lead is just not good enough.

“The way the results are going, some teams are knocking over teams who are expected to win, then next minute those teams are getting knocked over as well.  It’s hard to tell who’s going to beat who in this competition.”

Bay of Plenty fullback Toby Arnold scored his side’s fourth and bonus-point try in the 79th minute in a dazzling 100m movement, which featured a 60m burst from replacement hooker Dan Perrin.

It was the highlight of a flat second half, after Moa, John Pareanga and Phil Burleigh had all crossed in the first spell.