LANGTREE Park will play host to the best rugby players on the planet at 8pm on Saturday night when the Rugby League World Cup bounces into town.

And after a successful opening week for the tournament, which has seen sold out notices posted outside Warrington, Workington and Rochdale, the gauntlet has been thrown down to the sporting public of St Helens to follow suit.

A five figure gate is guaranteed for the clash between Group A’s two unbeaten teams - Australia and Fiji – but organisers expect a late surge through the week especially as tickets are now on sale at Langtree Park office.

Sales will be helped by the feelgood buzz that is rippling through the tournament after some rip-roaring opening games that have really captured the public imagination beyond the 13-man code’s traditional supporter base.

It promises to be an historic occasion – with it being the first time the town has hosted the Australians in a full international.

The Green and Golds, who will also be in town on Friday to go through their captain’s run finishing touches to game day, will bring their full array of stars.

Although they were slow starting on Saturday, once Greg Inglis, Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and, most of all, man of the match Johnathan Thurston got into their stride they looked every inch like the team determined to snatch the famous old trophy back from the Kiwis.

But it won’t be an exhibition match or a walkover – Fiji are packed to the rafters with steel, speed and flair – players who ply their trade every week in the elite NRL.

And on the flanks they have a flying machine in Akuile Uate, who got off to a blistering start with a hat-trick in the opener against Ireland.

And of course in the middle there will be scores to settle with Fiji’s island born skipper Petero Civoniceva fronting up to the nation he played 45 test matches for.

With all the neutrals backing the underdog Fijians, an atmosphere resembling the one at Warrington on Sunday - when 14,000 bellowed for a Mose Masoe-inspired Samoa – will add to the sense of occasion.

Saturday’s historic game kicks off at 8pm, with tickets priced from £10/£5.