Australian Kangaroos middle forwards Lindsay Collins and Tino Fa'asuamaleaui reportedly had to be separated after a fiery exchange at Rugby League World Cup training.
The duo will both play this weekend as part of Australia's team to take on Italy in the final game of the group stage at the tournament.
Mal Meninga will use the game to settle on his best 17 ahead of a likely quarter-final against Lebanon, before a semi-final with New Zealand awaits, should all results go as expected.
9 News report that Fa'asuamaleaui and Collins, who both could be competing for minutes in the knockout stage of the tournament, had a fiery exchange at training and were forced to be separated by teammates.
“I guess it's the heat of the moment out there in training,” Fa'asuamaleaui told 9News.
“(We are) proud boys that just want to train hard and we just bumped heads a bit there, but it's all love at the end of the day.”
Australia's first-choice forward pack is somewhat up in the air, with only a handful of players likely to be locked into starting roles.
It's anticipated that Isaah Yeo will start at lock, while Cameron Murray will hold a spot in the back row given they are the sides vice-captain's.
That leaves just two prop spots and likely two bench spots to be fought between a group of strong middle forwards, with Fa'asuamaleaui and Collins - who are Queensland Maroons teammates - to battle another pair of Maroons in Patrick Carrigan and Reuben Cotter, as well as New South Wales duo Reagan Campbell-Gillard and Jake Trbojevic.
Australia's game with Italy kicks off at 5:30am (AEDT) on Sunday morning.
