Japanese Top League

All Blacks lock Patrick Tuipulotu signs up with Toyota

They have also signed South Africa loose forward Pieter-Steph du Toit.

Tuipulotu, who led the Blues to this year's Super Rugby Trans-Tasman title, signed a contract with New Zealand Rugby through to 2025 and the new deal permitted him to move to Japan with a return home slated for mid-2022.

Tuipulotu is reunited with former All Blacks' World Cup-winning coach Steve Hansen, who is now director of rugby at the club, while he will be playing under coach Simon Cron, also a New Zealander.

Barrett makes flying start, upstaged by team-mate's five-try haul

Perenara’s second half try proved a pivotal turning point as his NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes rallied from 6-14 down at halftime to beat Keisuke Sawaki 26-24 at the Machida Stadium in Tokyo, completing the escape with a penalty goal in the 81st minute.

Barrett had a more leisurely debut, pulling the strings from his favoured first-five-eighth position for an hour as Suntory Sungoliath ran riot to rout the Greg Cooper-coached Mitsubishi Dynoboars, 75-7.