A passionate display of the rivalry between rugby fans from England and Argentina dominated Dunedin's Octagon before the city's first Rugby World Cup clash at Otago Stadium tonight.
Police stepped in to maintain a line between chanting factions as boisterous English and Argentinian supporters traded pre-match banter and deregatory tunes inthe city centre this afternoon.
It was a close call, but the samba-inspired spanish songs of the fervent Argentinian fans often seemed to drown out the English supporter's chants and the repetitive drone of ''Swing Low Sweet Chariot''.
Dunedin seemed overwhelmed by the blue and white colours of the Argentina fans, as supporters of the Los Pumas, young and old, male and female, found their way to the Octagon to sing and chant themselves in to a pre-match frenzy.
The English fans were determined not to be outdone though, as they packed the Octagon's bars, belting out chants to add to the intense atmosphere.
Argentinian boys Carlos Bottini (12) and his friend Nacho Alfonso (13) were part of a passionate pack of puma supporters chanting and whistling in a wind-up of English fans.
Carlos Bottini senior said he had brought his son to New Zealand to experience the World Cup, after the pair also made it to France in 2007.
''It's better here than in Europe. All of us have come here to the city centre together and everything is so close,'' he said, of Dunedin.
Joe Freeman, of Dover, was dressed up as St George at the forefront of a group of chanting red and white attired fans, proclaiming the superiority of the English supporters.
''We've got more flags, better songs, and... We're just better,'' he shouted.
Senior Sergeant Bruce Ross, of Dunedin, said the pre-match behaviour of fans was part of the good-natured banter between supporters. One person had been arrested, away from the Octagon, before kick-off, he said.
Stadium spectators didn't stop the chants and singing once they made their way inside the ground, although the loudest cheer was saved for a rogue streaker who managed to elude security staff to romp naked across the synthetic pitch.
Argentina fans, sensing a possible boilover early in the match, did their best to cheer on their team, but it was the English fans left singing loudest when reserve back Ben Youngs cantered over for the game's only try.
