Eden Park, Eden Park: All Blacks fans enjoy Sinatra and a stroll before the big game

Street performers entertain rugby-goers on the new Fan Trail to Eden Park, ahead of tonight's Bledisloe Cup game. Photo/Chris Loufte

Rugby fans are flooding towards Eden Park ahead of tonight's second Bledisloe Cup game, making the most of a re-jigged Fan Trail through the city's hotspots.

Organisers said revellers were delighting in the street entertainment along the route, with the Royal NZ Navy Band a particular favourite.

"They've been taking requests - I even heard some Frank Sinatra - the crowds are really enjoying it," Fan Trail producer Torise Flay said. "People are just amazed."

“They are inspiration not just to women but to all New Zealand”

🇳🇿 Prime Minister @jacindaardern reacts to @BlackFerns win over Australia.#NZLvAUS pic.twitter.com/nx8MfrrOdn

— All Blacks (@AllBlacks) August 25, 2018

Instead of kicking off downtown at Britomart - as it did for the 2011 Rugby World Cup - the route begins at Ponsonby's Western Park before heading to rugby HQ.

The 2.3km walk - previously 4.5km - travels along Ponsonby Rd before turning right on Great North Rd and then down Bond St and towards the stadium.

Part of the change was due to the construction happening at the waterfront, but organisers - Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) - also wanted fans to make the most of bars and restaurants on Ponsonby Rd and Karangahape Rd along the way.

Other en-route entertainment included DJs, the Auckland Gospel Choir, barbershop singers, Highly Flammable light dancers and other street performers.

Street artists would also create murals at Western Park, Bond St and Walters Rd which fans could use as backdrops for photos. They featured both New Zealand and Australian themes.

Flay said a surprising number of Wallabies fans had been stopping to have a picture with the Australian mural.

"It's amazing how many Wallaby fans have come over and they've loved being able to get their photo taken with the wall," she said.

The Fan Trail was first created for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, partly to reduce congestion on the city's roads, and to provide entertainment before the games.

It was so much of a success, it has become a fixture for Eden Park tests.

A sold-out crowd is expected for tonight's match, the second of three in the series.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is among the thousands of fans who have turned out to watch the world champion Black Ferns - who made it two in a row against Australia tonight - ahead of the All Blacks clash.

Most of the talk in the lead up to the All Blacks test has been about the Wallabies' Eden Park hoodoo – they haven't won at Eden Park since 1986, and haven't won on New Zealand soil since 2001.

But the All Blacks will still be wary as they only need to look back to last year to see what a wounded Wallabies side can do, when they rushed out to a 17-0 lead over the All Blacks in Dunedin after being thumped in Sydney the previous week. (However, the Wallabies still ended up losing that game in the final moments.)

How to watch:

The Herald will be live blogging both games with coverage of the Black Ferns starting from 4.45pm followed soon after by the All Blacks. RadioSport will also have live commentary. Sky TV will be showing the Black Ferns match live on Sky Sport 1 with coverage of the Black Ferns starting at 4.30pm and the All Blacks at 6.55pm.