Comeback Kid Jeff Wilson was the stand-out as New Zealand wound up their Tri-Nations preparations on a satisfactory note with a hard-won 37-12, four tries to none, victory over France at WestpacTrust Stadium, Wellington.
Wilson surged past Christian Cullen to become the All Blacks' leading Test try-scorer by running in the game's first try and he created two more against a defiant French team which was coming off a squared series against the Springboks.
Given that the All Blacks had lost five of their last eight Test encounters against the French, it was a particularly satisfying victory.
But it took the creativity of the outside backs, Wilson and Tana Umaga in particular, and a lot of resolute defence before the All Blacks could consider this game won.
The only areas of concern for coaches Wayne Smith and Tony Gilbert were the scrum, which was often under pressure and never once capitalised on the several five-metre scrum opportunities that arose, and the laboured play of halfback Justin Marshall.
With the scrum a troublesome zone, the All Blacks made capital off the line-out, three of their four tries coming directly from this launching pad.
Umaga, who was back to his brilliant best, created the first with a powerful surge in midfield, Wilson came off his wing to scorch through in the centres and set up Lomu for another while Howlett, in fairytale fashion, did it all himself a mere 22 seconds after coming on as a replacement.
Howlett didn't join the action until the 76th minute, scarcely enough time, one would have thought, for him to maintain his amazing record of having scored in every Test appearance.
But Lomu, who'd maintained a massive work-rate throughout the game, sucked the French defence in by running decoy, allowing Howlett to sprint through for his eighth try in seven internationals.
Howlett's try putting the trimmings on a performance which had the All Black management satisfied, even if they recognise there is still improvement needed before the side fronts up to South Africa and Australia.
Skipper Anton Oliver conceded that this was the team's "first real Test" of the season. "The French were tough and disruptive, like the Pumas, and forced us into errors. We probably needed to be more patient, but I'm stoked that we scored four tries to none and won so decisively."
The French could take encouragement from their performance, given the number of inexperienced individuals they had in their starting fifteen.
Fullback Pepito Elhorga and winger Nicolas Jeanjean, who did an excellent job in trying to contain Lomu, look footballers of the future and if David Skrela, the flyhalf, looks to be lacking a metre of pace, he nevertheless possesses a cultured boot and a cool head.
It was in the scrum, particularly after Raphaël Ibañez, Jean-Jacques Crenca and Pieter de Villiers joined the action in the second half, that the French exerted the greatest pressure.
There were major contributions from No.8 Patrick Tabacco, flanker Olivier Magne and veteran lock Olivier Brouzet as well, but in the finish it was the skill and inventiveness of the All Black backs and the tenacity of their defence that thwarted the tourists.
While Marshall struggled all night, often being disrupted by Fabien Galthié, Tony Brown was all aggression and commitment at first-five, challenging Wilson for the man of the match award.
Goalkicking impeccably, he accumulated 17 points, which dropped his Test average marginally (in matches where he's worn the No.10 jersey) from 31 to 29.
Pita Alatini was elusive again in midfield but it was Umaga, all thrust and power, Wilson and Lomu who eventually brought about the demise of the tourists.
The best of the New Zealand forwards were captain and hooker Oliver, lock Troy Flavell and blindside flanker Reuben Thorne.
It's questionable whether Taine Randell did on the openside of the scrum to hold off Marty Holah's challenge for the major Tests ahead.
The All Blacks led 17-6 at half-time and were ahead 23-12 before the two late tries by Lomu and Howlett secured their first victory at Wellington's new stadium.
Man of the match: Hard to go past Jeff Wilson who demonstrated all his skills in his first test at WestpacTrust Stadium, on attack as well as defensively, and in the process overtook Christian Cullen as New Zealand's leading Test try-scorer.
Moment of the Match: Jonah Lomu's try six minutes from time. The French were hanging in at 12-23 but a scorching break by Wilson put the big man in behind the posts which represented game, set and match to the All Blacks.
Villain of the Match: The only individual who visited the sin bin was Norm Maxwell but he's been guilty of countless more heinous offences than the tackle on Stéphane Glas which only referee Alan Lewis seemed to consider dangerous.
The Teams:
New Zealand: 1 Greg Somerville, 2 Anton Oliver (c), 3 Carl Hoeft, 4 Troy Flavell, 5 Norm Maxwell, 6 Taine Randell, 7 Reuben Thorne, 8 Ron Cribb, 9 Justin Marshall, 10 Tony Brown, 11 Jonah Lomu, 12 Pita Alatini, 13 Tana Umaga, 14 Jeff Wilson, 15 Leon MacDonald
Reserves: Carl Hayman, Doug Howlett, Marty Holah, Byron Kelleher
Unused: Chris Jack, Mark Hammett, Andrew Mehrtens
France: 1 Christian Califano, 2 Olivier Azam, 3 Olivier Milloud, 4 Olivier Brouzet, 5 Lionel Nallet, 6 Olivier Magne, 7 Jean Bouilhou, 8 Patrick Tabacco, 9 Fabien Galthie (c), 10 David Skrela, 11 Christophe Dominici, 12 Stephane Glas, 13 Yannick Jauzion, 14 Nicolas Jeanjean, 15 Pepito Elhorga
Reserves: David Auradou, Jean-Jacques Crenca, Pieter De Villiers, Raphael Ibanez, Gerald Merceron, Sebastien Bonetti, Sebastien Chabal
Attendance: 36000
Referee: Lewis a.
Points Scorers:
New Zealand
Tries: Howlett D.C. 1, Lomu J.T. 1, Thorne R.D. 1, Wilson J.W. 1
Conv: Brown T.E. 4
Pen K.: Brown T.E. 3
France
Pen K.: Skrela D. 4
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