Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper has suggested sweeping changes that Joe Schmidt should make for the second Test against the British and Irish Lions.<\/b><\/p>\n
Australia came into the Test series as heavy underdogs and had their backs against the wall when the tourists took a 24-5 lead early in the second half.<\/p>\n
However, Schmidt\u2019s charges fought back and ultimately fell to an eight-point, 27-19 defeat.<\/p>\n
Halfback debate<\/p>\n
Ahead of the second and decisive Test match, Hooper has suggested a plethora of changes, but the first of which will not be at scrum-half as he believes the combination of Jake Gordon starting and Tate McDermott on the bench works well for the Wallabies<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cTate\u2019s skillset is around seeing opportunity, his run game, and it played perfectly to his strengths,\u201d Hooper<\/a> said on Stan Sport\u2019s\u00a0Between Two Posts..<\/p>\n \u201cNow, when you start to look at selection for next week, will we see that at the start of the game, the first 40 minutes? Is it going to be like that? Well, no, because a lot of the ball was being kicked earlier on in the game, and usually that\u2019s how Test matches play out.\u201d<\/p>\n But the legendary Wallaby would like to see a new backline set-up outside of the halfbacks with a midfield tweak having a domino effect.<\/p>\n With Tom Lynagh retained at fly-half, Hooper backs Hunter Paisami at inside centre, which would shift the starting midfielders from the first Test match out a position with Harry Potter falling out of Hooper\u2019s side.<\/p>\n \u201cYou talk about Queensland Reds combination, Hunter at 12. Now Hunter in the Queensland Reds-Lions<\/a> game was the best performer on the field,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was awesome in that game, superb, so you put him straight into 12, Len (Ikitau) to 13, and then you put the big man, Joseph (Suaalii), out onto the wing.\u201d<\/p>\n Former Wallabies captain voices concerns over \u2018flat\u2019 performance while he wants to see struggling playmaker given \u2018another chance\u2019<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n