EORL CRABTREE and David Fa’alogo are relishing the chance to go from the best of friends to the best of enemies in the space of four days.

Although Fa’alogo will be sitting out tomorrow’s Giants’ clash at Hull FC (3.00) as his club bids to make it two Super League victories on the trot, he’ll be cheering Crabtree on loudly from the stands.

But on Wednesday they will go head-to-head at the Galpharm Stadium as Crabtree’s England take on Fa’alogo and the Exiles in the second Origin International.

Both men are expected to play in their ‘home’ representative fixture, having featured strongly in the opening fixture at St Helens’ Langtree Park on June 16 when England triumphed 18-10.

The duo admit helping the Giants build on last Sunday’s home win over London Broncos and getting back to their top early-season form remains their top priority.

But they’re also excited about locking horns again next week, with Exiles back-rower Fa’alogo, a World Cup winner with New Zealand back in 2008, determined to face Crabtree again after admitting the England prop got slightly the better of the exchanges the other week.

“I think I owe Eorl one!” declared Fa’alogo in the wake of the defeat suffered by the cream of Super League’s overseas talent the other week.

“I’d probably have to admit the big man got the better of the exchanges in that first Origin game. He played very.

“But he already knows I’m looking to even things up in this one!

“Having said that, we only came up against each other a couple of times that day.

“We knew where each other was on the field, but for some reason we just didn’t seem to have many chances to run into each other, which would have been fun.

“May be he was just trying to avoid me!”

The powerful 31-year-old was obviously saying that with tongue firmly in cheek, although Crabtree admits his clubmate remains a tough and uncompromising competitor.

“He’s got a massive physical presence and he loves to rip in,” said the 29-year-old. “That’s the way I like to play it, too, so if we do meet up on Wednesday, it could prove pretty interesting.