Wales at fever pitch for big game

More fans are expected to turn out at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium this morning to watch Wales’s Rugby World Cup semi-final match on giant TV screens than the actual match in New Zealand.

The Welsh Rugby Union said around 65,000 free tickets have now gone to people who want to watch the game in the Cardiff. Eden Park, the venue in Auckland where Wales play France holds only 60,000.

Officials say they have been amazed by demand to watch this morning’s game at the home of Welsh rugby.

Welsh captain Sam Warburton said the players in New Zealand were amazed at the support back home. He said: “We are delighted with the level of support we keep hearing about from Wales.

“It is amazing to think the Millennium Stadium will be so crowded for a game we are playing thousands of miles away.”

An additional giant screen is being erected with around 25,000 spectators expected to watch the match on the floor of the stadium and the rest in the seats in the middle and upper levels, while thousands in Swansea are also expected to gather in the city’s Castle Square, to watch the game live on a giant TV screen.

Full-back Leigh Halfpenny added “I have spoken to my friends and family, and they’ve said the place is going mad back home.”

Hosts New Zealand take on Australia in the second semi-final, also at Eden Park, tomorrow morning as the tournament heads towards its conclusion next weekend.