“There’s 30 guys in the squad and only 22 can put on the jumper, so there’s always going to be a few punches and words at training,” the 24-year-old, who will start in Australia’s opening Pool C match against Italy on Sunday.     

“There’s spots up for grabs and no one’s really secured their position...”     

Faingaa said he had not been involved in the skirmish but jokingly added that he could not rule out his twin brother and hooker Saia, who was left out of the matchday squad.     

Australian media reports said Wednesday’s closed session had been full contact with at least one forward punching one of his squad mates.     

“It was brutal,” openside flanker David Pocock told the Sydney Morning Herald.      

“It was full-on contact, very physical and pretty intense. Guys like (number eight) Wycliff Palu were just fired up, which was great to see, particularly for the group.      

“I think it’s safe to say he is back to full fitness after yesterday.”     

“It was a big session, there’s a few sore boys, and we are going to need that aggression against the Italian forwards,” Pocock added.     

This was the second time in a couple of months that reports of fighting between Wallabies team mates had appeared in the Australian media.     

The Australian Rugby Union last month conducted an investigation into reports that fullback Kurtley Beale, flyhalf Quade Cooper and winger James O’Connor had come to blows in Paris last November.     

They found that the players had no case to answer.