DUBLIN :Australia are hoping fresh legs in their team will give them a much-needed lift as they continue to labour through the last weeks of their season, coach Joe Schmidt said on Thursday.

He made six changes to the team beaten by Italy in Udine last Saturday for this weekend’s clash against Ireland in Dublin, including a return for veteran flyhalf James O’Connor and powerful centre Len Ikitau.

“We've tried to get some freshness into this squad,” Schmidt told a press conference on Thursday. “There's a bit of wear and tear, to be honest, and we’re just trying to mitigate some of the wear and tear and get a fresh 15 out there.”

Last weekend’s 26-19 loss to the Italians was Australia's second in a row, following a 25-7 defeat to England the previous week, and was the fifth in the last si

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