Ella fears ambush from Kiwi and English fans

Australian Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens coach Glen Ella has warned of a possible ambush by New Zealand and England supporters at the Telstra Dome tomorrow, and has appealed to Melbourne sports fans to help secure the home ground advantage.

Ella said he was concerned that fans from the local expatriate community could outnumber Australian supporters and neutralise the support of Australian fans.

"I can guarantee there will be large portions of the crowd barracking for the Kiwis and for England," Ella said.

"They will be there in big numbers, they will be noisy and they are sure to give their teams a real lift.

"We have seen it at some Bledisloe Cup Test matches in the past where the crowd support for the All Blacks has been almost as strong as the support for the Wallabies.

"It is going to be very difficult to beat teams like New Zealand, Fiji and England, so the extra level of support for the Australian team could make all the difference.

Ella said he particularly appealed to AFL fans.

"You might be a rusted on AFL fan who has never been interested in or understood Rugby.

"This is a golden opportunity to lend your support to a national football team that is wearing the gold jersey on behalf of all Australians, regardless of what code you follow.

"It is also a great way to enjoy a little taste of the Rugby, without the need to have a major understanding of the rules or strategies."

"I urge you to pick up a ticket, wear something gold, and get to the Telstra Dome to lend your voice to Australia's Commonwealth Games campaign."

There are still tickets available to both sessions on Thursday, as well as the afternoon session on Friday. The evening session on Friday is sold out.