Peter Canavan has rubbished claims by Australian Rules hard man Jason Akermanis that he punched him in the face and "ran away like a big girl up the park".

Akermanis was engaged in an infamous running battle with Canavan over four Tests in 1999 and 2000, leading to the pair being suspended for the first Test of the 2001 series. Speaking earlier this week, Akermanis referred to an incident in the second Test in Croke Park 10 years ago when the pair tangled.

"It must have been a different incident to what I remember," Canavan laughed at yesterday's launch of 'Voices from Croke Park', a collection of 12 essays charting the lives of some of the GAA's biggest stars.

"I think the video evidence might show that didn't happen. He must have got a bang on the head because his memory is not great."

The Tyrone legend believes the upcoming Tests in Limerick and Croke Park will be a lot more phyiscal than 2008 when Ireland beat Australia on their home patch.

"Some people felt they were too sanitised last time, but we should just wait until after these two Tests because I can't see that happening again," he added.

"As a nation, the Australians are a very confident people, some would say arrogant. They'll not want to come over and have amateur players beat them at a game they see themselves as being superior at."

Canavan believes Ireland will need to play to their strengths in order to retain the Cormac McAnallen trophy.

"I think there is a feeling among some of them that because they are full-time athletes and they are professional, they should be physically superior and that the Irish shouldn't put it up to them.

"And when the Irish do - in some cases they went head-to-head with them - they don't like it.

"There is a lot of talk about no compromise and the physical nature of the game, but it would still be in the Irish interests to go out and play football. It is not in the Irish interests to take them on at a physical game because there will probably only be one winner.

"But in terms of skill, pace and intelligence on the ball, I would like to think that's where our strengths lie." Tweet

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