SATURDAY'S Heineken Cup clash between New-port Gwent Dragons and Newcastle is heading for a sell-out, the first at Rodney Parade for four years.

The ticket office has been inundated with requests this week and on one day alone over 600 tickets were sold as fans rush to see the biggest game at Rodney Parade for years.

The only area of the ground where tickets can now be obtained is the Argus Terrace. By the end of business hours yesterday over 7,000 tickets had been sold, and the club expect at least 1,000 to go 'walk-up' on the day, if there are that many left.

Biggest focus of attention is Newcastle outside half Jonny Wilkinson, England's new captain and World Cup final hero whose last minute dropped goal earned them the trophy.

Wilkinson was feted far and wide after that, winning a string of awards like the OBE and BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Though he has been troubled by a serious arm injury and there are still question marks about his full fitness he remains a huge box office attraction. It will be his first visit to Wales for a club match.

Stand tickets for Saturday's big game sold out on Tuesday. Terrace tickets are going fast as well with only the one area left.

"We have been inundated with calls and interest in the game is huge. We are expecting a bumper crowd," said Dragons ticket office manager Jon Hall.

"There has naturally been a lot of interest in seeing two of world rugby's brightest stars, Jonny Wilkinson and Percy Montgomery, go head to head, but also passions are running high fuelled by the age-old Wales-England rivalry."

The ground capacity is now 10,000 which is 700 less than last season because of the reduction in the number of seats in the family stand behind the posts at the clubhouse end of the pitch.

Four years ago Rodney Parade was twice packed to capacity for the Heineken Cup matches against Bath and Munster. The capacity was then higher at 11,300.

But that has now been reduced to 10,000 by the local authority's safety of grounds staff. The match kicks off at 1pm and the family village at the ground will be open from 11am with a host of activities and entertainment.

As a curtain-raiser to the match a tag rugby game will be played with an international flavour as a school from Madrid are competing.

Cwmbran band The Noise, who won BBC Wales' 2002 battle of the bands competition, will perform post-match.

And Newport's Welsh Premier Division match at Carmarthen will be shown on the big screen at 5.30pm.