Schmidt picks veteran O'Connor in Australia squad to face the Lions

The Wallabies have lost first-choice number 10 Noah Lolesio to a neck injury

James O'Connor of Australia playing England in  Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images

Joe Schmidt has turned to veteran James O’Connor to help solve his fly-half issues ahead of the Test series against the British & Irish Lions with the Crusaders playmaker named by Australia’s head coach in a 36-man squad on Friday.

The Wallabies lost first-choice number 10 Noah Lolesio to a neck injury in their first Test of the year against Fiji last Sunday with surgery this week ruling him out of the Test series, beginning in Brisbane on July 19.