By Sam Ackerman
With 28,000 tickets sold so far it's not just the size of the crowd for tomorrow night's ANZAC test at Eden Park that's being scrutinised, but also how they'll behave.
The Kiwis say while they hope to play in front of a vocal crowd - they hope there's no repeat of the embarrassing scenes of two years ago.
Australian visitors faced a hostile reception then when there was booing during their national anthem.
Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney are calling for those in attendance tomorrow to remember the ANZAC spirit that the test is commemorating.
“They're the enemy once the whistle blows, but way back in the day we served our countries together, I think it's important we show respect in that, and I don't think booing is the right thing to do,” says Kearney.
Security at Eden Park has been ramped up following the unsavoury scenes that night - but Kangaroos hardman Paul Gallen is happy with a verbal barrage.
“I s’pose throwing things may be pushing the boundaries, but I don't mind the yelling the abuse and the screaming, I think it's just part of the game and I just think it shows how passionate the fans are,” says Gallen.
Stephen Kearney's been copping it from his own fans at club level of late - he's enjoying the change of scenery.
“It has been a real challenging couple of months to be fair,” says Kearney. “It's been good to separate the two and step away from the Eels job.”
But things haven't been a lot easier with the Kiwis - they're chasing their first significant test win since the 2010 4 Nations final.
“It was a lean year for us last year, we've looked at areas where we think we needed to improve and engaged the leadership group the senior players in the team on several occasions this year already,” says Kearney.
It seems both coach and captain are desperate to swap club struggles for international success.
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