It could happen by the end of next week.
The promotion for fans in the Highlanders region was launched on Tuesday and at the end of four days 69.1% of the tickets had been sold.
The revamped Carisbrook has a capacity of 27,168, and at the end of the week 18,780 tickets had been sold.
There are just 8388 seats left before ticket sales go national.
"We have another week of the local promotion and I'm certain we will get close by the end of next week," Reid told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
Ticket sales since the local launch was held with former All Blacks were: Tuesday 2300, Wednesday 1780, Thursday 1537, Friday 1323.
In the past four days, 6940 tickets had been sold and this pleased business manager Neville Frost, who has been in the job for nine years.
"I don't remember this many tickets being sold in a week before," Frost said.
The additional tickets were sold to rugby clubs and schools in the previous month.
Everything points to a sell-out crowd for the test.
This has happened only twice before at Carisbrook this century - against the Wallabies in 2001 and world champion England in 2004.
This year, the ORFU has gone back to a grassroots rugby style in promoting the test.
A feature has been to bring All Black stars of the past such Colin Meads, Kevin Skinner, Chris Laidlaw, Marc Ellis and Laurie Mains to Dunedin for the launch.
"We have worked hard to promote the test to the whole region and it seems to be working," Reid said.
Five reasons why the All Blacks should be wary of Ireland tonight
• The Munster connection. Seven of the eight forwards in Ireland's starting pack have just won the Heineken Cup with Munster.
• Bod. Or as the Irish sometimes call him, God. New Zealand rugby fans like to mock Brian O'Driscoll (right), but secretly they all want him in their team.
• Rustiness. Eight months since last test plus overhaul of line-up equals scratchy first-up All Blacks performance.
• Old laws. As in no experimental law variations (Elvs). Backlines don't have to be 5m back, most offences are punished by penalties, and you're allowed to pass back inside the 22m and kick out. The New Zealanders haven't played under those rules since October.
• Cardiff. You're only as good as your last game. The All Blacks know the hand-wringing that followed their World Cup loss to France in Cardiff last October will only intensify if they lose to Ireland for the first time.
