Joe Schmidt has vowed that his Wallabies side have learned their lesson as he prepares them to muscle up and force a series decider.

Andy Farrell’s demand for a fast start was emphatically met by his British & Irish Lions team in Brisbane, where they stunned Australia with decisive scores at the beginning of each half.

Schmidt has made no secret of his desire to match that physicality in front of a near six-figure crowd at the MCG, buoyed by the return of powerhouse duo Rob Valetini and Will Skelton.

The experienced pair bring more than 80 caps and 252kg to the Australian pack, and Schmidt’s game plan is simple: hit the Lions hard from the first whistle and don’t stop.

“They got in amongst us in Brisbane. We’ve no intention of being submissive again,” he said.

“They played the game on the edge very well, and we’ve learned from that. I think you’ll see us take it to them and keep them on the back foot more consistently.

“Everyone in rugby knows what Bobby [Valetini] brings. His experience gives us confidence, and the other players know he’s going to carry hard.

“Having Will back is a big plus as well. His résumé speaks for itself — he won’t panic, he has a calm head. He knows northern hemisphere rugby, and just having him back lifts the group.

“Confidence builds incrementally. You have to take small wins when you can, and getting those two back is certainly one of them.”

Full back Tom Wright said the Wallabies have embraced the pressure of the second Test, insisting the prospect of a series loss has not been mentioned.

“Our preparation and mentality are exactly where they need to be — and that’s not because our backs are against the wall,” he said.

“I don’t think we need to call this a do-or-die game. That sort of external pressure is unnecessary. No outside hype is going to unsettle this team.

“We’ve learned some lessons. Do we want to be more aggressive and throw more punches? Absolutely.”

Schmidt’s uncertainty over how many minutes Valetini and Skelton will be able to contribute has led to sacrifices in his 6–2 bench split. With no specialist inside centre in the matchday squad, Len Ikitau will carry the burden of covering midfield, while Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii takes his preferred position at 13.

Wallabies winger Harry Potter, who was born in London and has 67 appearances for Leicester Tigers, has inside knowledge of the opposition. He admitted that the team have looked to history for inspiration, recalling how Australia rebounded from defeat in Brisbane to win the 2001 series in Melbourne and Sydney.

There had been speculation Potter might be dropped if Schmidt gave in to calls to recall Hunter Paisami to the midfield and shift Suaalii to the wing.

“We’re all on the same page and our task couldn’t be simpler,” Potter said. “Everyone here knows what’s at stake.

“We didn’t put our best foot forward in the first 60 minutes last week, and I don’t see that happening again. We’ve taken a lot from that game. It was a strong side, but we need to come at them harder.

“There were positives at the end of that match. If we can string things together earlier, we’ll definitely go better.”