They’re the multimillion-dollar combination who lit up Twickenham last November, but Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii have become an expensive headache on the world’s biggest stage.

That’s not to say that the duo is out of form. It’s that they’re playing out of position – or, at least, away from where they spent the year in Super Rugby.

And in light of the Wallabies’ first-up 27-19 loss to the Lions, where Joe Schmidt’s attack was narrow and Ikitau and Suaalii were quieter than hoped behind a forward pack that was monstered in the first half, questions have been asked about whether a change to the midfield is required.

Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper started the calls for a tweak to the backline, urging Schmidt to start the Reds No.12 – the only specialist inside centre in the squad – against the Lions in Saturday’s crucial do-or-die Test at the MCG, which would allow Ikitau to return to his preferred position.

“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 on Stan Sport’s Between Two Posts program.

“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.”

After Hunter Paisami was one of the Queensland Reds’ best against the Lions, Michael Hooper wants the No.12 to return to the Wallabies side for the second Test in Melbourne. (Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)

But Ikitau – the outstanding outside centre shuffled closer to the action to accommodate Suaalii, who spent most of his first year in Super Rugby at fullback – insists the duo can bounce back after being completely outplayed last week in Brisbane by Scottish combination Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones..

“It’s more myself and Joseph, we need to go looking for the ball,” Ikitau told reporters on Tuesday.

“We can’t sit on the edge and expect the ball will come because sometimes the way the game is played, it doesn’t really get to an edge. So just being able to roam around; it’s not rugby league. He doesn’t have to stay on the left side, he can roam around and get into the ruck or close to the ruck for us to get a touch and be in the game.”

While Ikitau predominantly played at inside centre on last year’s Spring Tour, the 26-year-old, described as the best defensive outside centre in the world by his Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham and former Wallaby Quade Cooper, didn’t wear the No.12 jersey once for his Super Rugby franchise this season. It’s a theme that’s occurred throughout his whole career.

But the Wallabies midfielder said he didn’t feel that his role would change whatever number he had on the back of his jersey.

“I think it’s just a number on your back and be a bit tighter (in attack), but I just try to play the same as if I was playing 13. Obviously, I’m defending in a bit closer, but nothing changes in the way that I want to play,” he said.

And what about Suaallii: where is he best suited?

“To be honest, if he’s on the field, that’s the best thing for us,” Ikitau said.

“Just somewhere on the field, and if he’s playing 13, if he’s playing on the wing, fullback, I know that he’s just a freak of an athlete, and he can step up to the occasion, and just play his footy.

“At the end of the day, it’s a footy game and he’s a footballer, so I don’t think it’ll faze him.”

Len Ikitau says it’s up to him and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii to get more involved against the Lions in the second Test in Melbourne. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Schmidt is expected to make minimal changes to his side, including his backline for Saturday’s second Test.

While the Wallabies gave up a 24-5 lead early in the second half, Schmidt said the side took some confidence from their strong finish and the playing group certainly have continued that line of thinking in recent days.

“Walking off that field, I could tell that there was plenty of confidence in the group,” senior prop Allan Alaalatoa said.

“For us as players, it was for us to understand what allowed us to get the ascendancy in the second half to give us the opportunity to be down their end. It really came down to being more accurate.”

With weather expected on Saturday, the Wallabies could also be tempted into stacking their forward pack too.

That could also give the Wallabies a bit of a safety net given power forwards Will Skelton, Rob Valetini and Langi Gleeson all missed the first Test after injuries in recent weeks.

Alaalatoa said the wet start to the week in Melbourne had helped fine tune their preparations.

“As a forward pack, we’ve got to expect that with the weather coming and that’s why the preparation today in the rain is perfect for us to understand, one, how we want to play and, two, that the set-piece is going to be important,” he said.