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Ground staff at Eden Park have gained an idea how their counterparts at Jade Stadium feel, turning a cricket arena into a rugby stadium within two hours.

Just minutes after the New Zealand and South African players left the field as the first test faded to a draw, ground staff went about their other sporting business last night, raising the posts and marking the lines in preparation for tomorrow night's Auckland Blues-Canterbury Crusaders Super 12 clash.

It is the first time the Auckland ground has been transformed from one code to another in such a short time, the sort of time-frame Jade Stadium ground staff are now familiar with. The Blues wanted a training session last night under lights at the ground, hence the haste for the turnaround.

The match is the first of any sport under the newly-installed lights at Eden Park. The rugby match will also christen the lower tier of the new North Stand, which will seat 7500 and is expected to be full for the Blues-Crusaders game, which is expected to draw about 35,000 over all.