MELBOURNE: The desperate Wallabies are saying they will be boosted by big forwards Rob Valetini, Will Skelton and maybe Langi Gleeson for Saturday's do-or-die second Test against the British and Irish Lions at the MCG.

But Wallabies legend Michael Hooper would go even further in making sweeping changes in a bid to keep the series alive.

Hooper was a member of the 2013 Wallabies team that also lost the opener in Brisbane before punching back and levelling the series in Melbourne.

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Michael Hooper and Wycliff Palu of the Wallabies thank fans in 2013 in Melbourne.

Now working as an expert for Nine's Stan Sport, Hooper would resist calls to pair young No.10 Tom Lynagh with his Queensland Reds teammate Tate McDermott, who was impressive off the bench at Suncorp Stadium.

Hooper would stick with Jake Gordon as the starting halfback given McDermott's ability to change the game when it frees up in the second half.

"Tate's skillset is around seeing opportunity, his run game, and it played perfectly to his strengths," Hooper told Stan Sport's Between Two Posts.

"Now 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's how Test matches play out."

But Hooper would slot Reds centre Hunter Paisami in at No.12.

That would create a knock-on effect in his preferred backline that would force winger Harry Potter out of the starting side.

NEW PODCAST! Sean Maloney, Matt Burke and Michael Hooper on how the Wallabies can force a series decider against the Lions

https://omny.fm/shows/between-two-posts-1/hot-curry-cocky-brits-controversial-calls/embed?in_playlist=podcast&style=Cover

"You talk about Queensland Reds combination. Hunter at 12. Now Hunter in the Queensland Reds-Lions game was the best performer on the field," Hooper said.

"He was awesome that game, he was 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. Jorgo's (Max Jorgensen) been good, so I'd keep Jorgo in there, and then you're getting some good combinations. You're playing Len at his best spot, which is 13, where he plays all year.

"You get a lot of punch with Hunter, and then you start to open up a bit of space for Joseph in the wider channels and the aerial threat, which we've already seen has been a big factor in this game, so a bit of a rejig there."

Michael Hooper after losing to the 2013 Lions in Sydney.

Hooper, who still burns from the 2013 Lions series loss in the decider in Sydney, was not finished yet.

He would have Lukhan Salakaia-Loto in his starting side as well.

Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has gone strangely cold on Salakaia-Loto, who will take on the Lions for a third time on Tuesday night for the First Nations and Pasifika XV at Marvel Stadium.

Lukhan Salakaia-Loto of the AUNZ XV breaks from a tackle.

"I'd have him, I'd really like him as a No.6 if not starting in the second row. He can call lineouts. I think he should be in the starting team somehow... I think some of the additions that we're hearing might be ready for this week coming back, can make a huge difference to the Wallabies go forward."

Hooper also, only half jokingly, suggested that Schmidt should pick Pete Samu for the second Test after the Lions bizarrely blocked the experienced backrower from playing in Tuesday's game.

"They don't want Pete Samu to play. Do you just bring him in because they clearly don't want him to play."

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Schmidt will name his team on Thursday.

Wallabies veteran James Slipper said the vastly experienced Lions got away with playing "on the edge" around the offside line and ruck in Brisbane and the Australians needed to be more street smart in matching them.

Test great Matt Burke agreed.

"You play the ref's whistle, and if you can get away with it, you play the refs until you get caught, and I think that's what those guys (Lions) did on the weekend," Burke said on Between Two Posts.

"The Lions were so far on the edge... I thought the refereeing was a bit lenient on the weekend. I thought that they got away with some stuff, but you can only do it until the referee blows his whistle.

"Line speed was terrific, don't take away from the way they played, but they got away with some things as well, I reckon."

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