The All Blacks may win the Bledisloe Cup on Saturday night at Eden Park, their Auckland fortress.
Yet they can’t give tickets away for the clash.
The Wallabies face New Zealand in the second of the three-Test Bledisloe series, having lost the first to their hosts 33-25 last Saturday.
The odd decision to play twice at Eden Park in a row came after the New Zealand government switched its border settings on the eve of the series, shifting game two from Wellington to Auckland.
The back-to-back matches show that even New Zealand’s favourite sporting team can reach saturation point.
While New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has not given a crowd forecast, Eden Park chief executive Nick Sautner said the attendance would be “well short of last week”.
Mr Sautner told Radio NZ the combined attendance was going to be “in excess of 70,000”.
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Given last week’s match sold out with about 47,000 fans, that means organisers are expecting at least half-filling New Zealand’s biggest sporting arena.
Tickets are expensive. The cheapest seat at Eden Park – high at one end of the pitch – are $NZ80 ($A76), with premium spots going for $NZ220 ($A210).
Still, NZR is pulling out the stops to pack the stands.
There are offers to club rugby members to bring their kids for free, and a buy-one-get-one-free deal for Sky TV subscribers.
Air New Zealand is even putting on two jets for return flights plus tickets for the basement price of $NZ199 ($A190).
The lack of intensity in the crowd is surely good news for the Wallabies, who will have to contend with less hostility from the outer.
All Blacks skipper Sam Whitelock put on a brave face on match eve, saying “hopefully it’s more full than empty. The support we do have will be nice and loud”.
After a week where the Australian hyped the contest in the media, in search of a psychological edge, captain Michael Hooper downplayed any advantage, saying “we haven’t even thought about it”.
A win for the Wallabies would be their first in 35 years at Eden Park, tying the series before the decider in Perth on July 28.
Bledisloe 2 kicks off at 7:05pm NZST (5:05pm AEST).
Fox
Roar Guru
Thanks Keith cheers mate...gracious of you to. Yeah 1st have was an arm wrestle but 2nd half AB's just too good
Micko
Roar Rookie
And the AFL won't even actively assist in establishing an AFL franchise in Tasmania, a sure winner if ever there was one!
Keith (no longer) of WA
Roar Rookie
watching the game when they can't even see half the pitch lines covered with snow is interesting.....
Keith (no longer) of WA
Roar Rookie
aaaaannnnnd fair play to you mate... it's certainly a sweet taste of victory.. :stoked: I could not watch it due to lack of access but from what I read the AB's were fearsome and had one of those days where they cold beat anyone.... well played.... :thumbup:
Keith (no longer) of WA
Roar Rookie
Truthfully, once you get into how the game is played and understand it you get so absorbed the time flies....
Fox
Roar Guru
I am not so sure…these three have great pace for big men. You could always put Akira at 8 a position he also likes to play. the big issue is who goes when Sam Cane returns? I do think Akira ahs the No6 jumper now – he made some enormous tackles in the D and his carries and back play were just superb. gees he has some gas for a big man. He needed game time in the jumper for AB’s and they have given it to him and he has stood up. Man there are some lazy typos in previous blogs.. :angry:
Ankle-tapped Waterboy
Roar Rookie
Rebels? Also let people know that they can't buy a ticket at the ground. Wasted journey!
Ankle-tapped Waterboy
Roar Rookie
Keith, I'm proud to be in the same tribe as you. Thank you.
moaman
Roar Guru
Just to clarify---I am not a fan of Marshall's. Akira had an outstanding game but I reserve judgement on whether or not he has nailed the 6 jersey. I am not a fan of Ardie playing at 8 and with Akira playing so wide it meant Dalton was left to put in a massive shift defensively. He has to make a mountain of tackles. I am unconvinced that this is the way forward and suspect it would be disastrous versus the 'Boks.
Fox
Roar Guru
Ah yes I that we can agree...gees how good were that AB's tonight? As you would know from my blogs Moaman I hve been saying to other bloggers to take a look at how Akira has been playing in the last 18 months not 3 years ago and man did have good game tonight. He has stamped his name on the 6 jumper and when Savea went off he went to was brilliant almost having to cover two positions. It his to lose now IMO.
moaman
Roar Guru
Oh no mate, not Smithy. My hero is Justin Marshall. :thumbup:
Fox
Roar Guru
Well well well Ob Ob...who has egg on their face now and who clearly knows this AB side better than you do?
Fox
Roar Guru
As it should be Moaman... and yet is was full last week...but I don't think kiwis need to here about an AB game pre game just to know its on. But Moaman you seem play the kiwi devils advocate all the time and in the cricket as well...seems a bit odd to me as if you are desperately trying be neutral. You and Smithy would be good together!
Fox
Roar Guru
Well keith that coolade is tasting mighty sweet right now....seems I do know a thing or two about this All Blacks side huh?
CPM
Roar Rookie
All Blacks skipper Sam Whitelock put on a brave face on match eve, saying “hopefully it’s more full than empty. What! Is it because they are a boring team playing boring rugby. Why are people not interested in watching Whitelock’s team.. the ratings must be junk as well.
Ken Catchpole's Other Leg
Roar Guru
“ He was proven right”. It’s not what a man doesn’t know that gets him into trouble, It’s what he knows fer sure, that just ain’t so.
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
The only thing I can think of is that they don't want any travel. Otherwise as you say, Dunedin would have been the best choice.
Fox
Roar Guru
Well objective observer we shall see today won’t we in the 2nd test…and in the coming weeks. Ill discipline doesn’t make you bad side unless it continues on and on . It means you were poor in one game with your discipline. They got pumped in last 18minutes….yeah sure Australia came back well but the game was well lost by then and you know it. Let’s see if they can be consistent the Wallabies and be just as strong the last 18-20minutes again. In fact great sides learn by their mistakes and despite the June test the AB’s are always average in 1st test and perhaps you need a little reminding. Last year they improved their margin by 20 points between their first and second test against the Wallabies, and the year before that number was 57. I would judge both sides after this test to be fair to each. The AB’s are also missing two of their three best props to injury at the moment , one of the best 7’s in the game in Sam Cane and they have new combinations with Havilli still finding his way at test level at at 12 and a new look back row. Mind you I would rather not see Foster as head coach but I will grant him some lee way for now. IMO the Wallabies have the better coach. Rennie is class act. Despite the physicality of the Fijian forwards the AB’s were not really tested in the June window. Australia was and came up well. So the Wallabies were the 1st time the AB’s have been really tested this season IMO so lets see what happens now they have had a bit of a wake up call… and they did. Coming off the back of not making RWC 2019 final…. well hardly that was two years ago…I think that is stretching it a bit
AndyS
Guest
After watching the Olympics and some of the AFL played with minimal to no crowds, I am surprised rugby broadcasters aren't doing the same thing and just overlaying the crowd noise. Seems a rip to me, but everyone seems to have accepted it without comment and just got on with enjoying the show.
Hoges
Guest
It’s not that simple. I don’t know about every team but the Reds for example are locked into a contract to play home games at Suncorp Stadium for which they pay about $1 million per match (may have gone up - I read that figure a few years ago). After that million is paid to Stadiums Qld out of ticket and concession revenue the Reds / Qld Rugby keep the rest. If tickets and concessions fall below the million they make up the difference. The real kicker is if they were to decide to take a game to regional Qld for example they still owe money to Stadiums Qld under their current contract. I’m sure all teams are under similar contracts as non of them own their own world class stadium. While I do agree that tickets are expensive, the reality is that simply reducing prices is not the answer as it creates an unsustainable model moving forward.