High-profile Wallabies trio James O'Connor, Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale have denied rumours they were involved in a physical altercation while on tour in France last November.
After O'Connor was this week handed a one-match ban for missing the official World Cup squad announcement, the Wallabies have been forced to fend off further distraction amid media reports of an alleged alcohol-fuelled incident last year.
A week out from their final Tri-Nations match the three admitted there had been a spat, but said that it had been a petty incident, blown out of proportion and that they remained 'best mates'.
"These rumours are dragging out and the reason why we're here is to squash the rumours. We wouldn't be sitting here together as best mates or playing together if there was any issues," said Cooper.
"You only have to look at the amount of time we hang out - there's going to be disagreements every now and then, and that's what happens when you are best mates."
"There is no issues amongst any of us boys. We're just looking forward to the future of playing in the World Cup and hopefully winning the Tri-Nations – that's what's important to us."
"We're not going to let anyone distract us from the intention we have there of claiming something that could be one of the biggest moments in our careers."
"When you're hanging out with your best mates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, there's going to be disagreements and you're not always going to see eye to eye."
Coach Robbie Deans was inclined to back the version of events presented by his 'maligned' players' and questioned the motives and timing of those bringing the allegations back into the spotlight in the lead-up to their Saturday night Tri-Nations decider with the All Blacks at Suncorp Stadium.
"There's a lot of suggestion that have been just fallacy ... where they've come from, I don't know," said Deans.
"We didn't assess it. It was a typical Test week, they had a disagreement, it wasn't of significant nature."
"They had an argument, as people who are close do. Beyond that, there was nothing."
"Some of the suggestions are nonsense ... we keep alluding to this incident, but there was no incident as such."
"There's no police file, there's no file of an internal fine – there's nothing."
"I'll let you draw your own conclusions (about the timing), let's get on with the rugby."
Of the three players, O'Connor was the least forthcoming, but reiterated the message of solidarity presented by Beale and Cooper.