Wales are confident of gaining support to play the bulk of their group matches in the 2015 World Cup at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, even though England won the bid to stage the tournament on the basis they would be the sole hosts.

The Millennium Stadium was included in the bid as one of the grounds that would be used on the basis it is close to the West Country. The original intention was that it would stage between three and five group games and up to two quarter-finals, but none would involve Wales.

Wales have been lobbying hard this World Cup to stage all their group games there, except the one that would pitch them against a fellow tier-one nation. Their argument is that as Twickenham has guaranteed £80m from ticket sales to give to the tournament organisers, it would make financial sense for Wales to be based largely in Cardiff.

"The Millennium Stadium will figure large in 2015," said the Welsh Rugby Union chief executive, Roger Lewis. "Who is in each pool will be critical, but because of the £80m guarantee we have got to work together to maximise the opportunity for rugby by using the stadium's full capacity.

"We will do that by Wales playing a tier-two nation there. It does not make business or rugby sense to stage a game against a tier-two nation elsewhere and it is only fair for the fans. We are hoping that the majority of our games will be in Cardiff, but Wales against a tier-one country would most definitely be played elsewhere because of the home advantage. We accept that."

Lewis said he expects a decision to be made before Christmas, but the Sanzar unions oppose Wales playing any matches in Cardiff, pointing out that if they and England are drawn in the same pool it would handicap countries like Argentina and Samoa, sides with quarter-final aspirations, because they would twice concede home advantage.

"We had a meeting on the issue last week and all the talks have been sensible and good-natured," said Lewis. "It is about what is best for the tournament. The fact we are now seeded [for making the semi-finals] will help."

Wales will contest Friday's play-off with Australia, as they did in 1987, after missing out on a place in the final by losing to France by a point on Saturday having played 63 minutes with 14 men after the dismissal of their captain, Sam Warburton, for a dangerous challenge.

The WRU will open the Millennium Stadium to fans free of charge to watch the play-off on the big screens at the ground, having attracted a crowd of more than 61,000 for the semi-final.

"It is a big thank-you to the fans, who have been superb," said Lewis. "The tournament has been a big success for Wales and this is probably the first golden era of Welsh rugby in the professional era. They won the grand slam in 2005, again in 2008, and we have made the World Cup semi-finals. Look at the age of the players and what they have achieved. Everyone wants to keep this together.

"The success in New Zealand has given us all a great deal of confidence and a sense we have an exciting future ahead of us. The challenge now is to put this energy created by the players, which is so powerful, into driving forward the game in Wales."

While the Wales coach, Warren Gatland, is tied to Wales until the end of the 2015 World Cup, the rest of his management team are coming out of contract, including the defence coach Shaun Edwards, and the attack coach, Rob Howley.

"We will wait until the World Cup is over and consider everything in the cold light of day," said Lewis. "Any discussion with Shaun has to take place with Wasps first. We want Shaun to have a relationship with Welsh rugby. How that manifests itself is to be discussed. We have an outstanding coaching team."

The wing George North, at 19 the youngest player in the squad, said that Wales could look forward to the next four years with a keen sense of anticipation given the breakthrough made this year by a number of players who should be approaching their peak in 2015.

"I have loved every second of my two months here," he said. "We have a number of young lads in the squad and we should have a great chance in 2015. We are playing with confidence, and while that has been described as having no fear, I would say it is belief in ourselves. Everyone is playing for each other for the benefit of the team."

Wales will not call up a flanker to compensate for Warburton's loss, even though they do not have a specialist in the position and will be up against David Pocock on Friday. Nor are they blaming the captain's red card for the defeat.

"The reality is that if you miss four kicks at goal in a World Cup semi-final, you are going to lose," said the kicking coach, Neil Jenkins. "We would have loved to have been in the final against the All Blacks, but it was not to be and we have the chance to become the third best side in the world."