Rugby: Eden Park aims for extra test

There is an outside chance Eden Park will be finished ahead of schedule and talks will soon begin to open the ground with a glamour fixture.

The end of October next year remains the scheduled completion date but there is some confidence that could be brought forward, which would open the possibility of Auckland hosting more tests next year.

Blues chief executive Andy Dalton and the Eden Park trustees want the redeveloped ground to host as many major events as it can ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

One possibility under discussion is to open the ground with an All Black test in October 2010. The national team will tour Europe in November 2010 and could play in Auckland before flying north.

The issue at that time of year would be finding an opponent, as it would be outside the IRB test window. European club competitions would be in full swing, eliminating the prospect of assembling a Pacific Island or Barbarians side, while the Currie Cup would prevent the Springboks from assembling a decent side. The Wallabies would be the obvious choice, as Australia have no domestic competition and have shown a willingness to play a fourth Bledisloe Cup game in recent seasons.

"We are very keen to host large scale events so we can build confidence ahead of 2011," said Dalton.

"We will have a look at some possible one-off events. October could be free, so maybe the All Blacks could play before they head overseas. These are the types of events that will be looked at."

Construction work at the ground has so far gone smoothly and is slightly ahead of schedule but there still needs to be a cautious approach to arranging fixtures.

With some of the trickier foundation work out of the way, redevelopment board chief executive Adam Feeley says every effort is being made to retain the momentum and try to finish ahead of October 27, 2010.

He says no guarantees can be made because there are still difficult areas of construction where timeframes will be known only once the work begins.

The least predictable job will be placing the roof on the South Stand. Work will begin in October and if all goes to plan, it should be finished in March.

However, while the architects and engineers say it should take six months, the reality is that it could take longer. There is also the prospect of a severe winter setting construction back, although provision has been made for that in the planning.

"What I have said to Andy [Blues chief executive Dalton] is that we can't give any guarantees but there is at least a chance [of finishing early]. Where things stand now, there is reason to be positive but the biggest challenge is going to be the roof.

"We have said to Andy if he wants to enter discussions about a test or a one-off event next year, then he should feel free."