The depleted Wallabies are braced for a nothing-to-lose Irish attacking approach as the tourists attempt to become just the second team to roll Australia at Suncorp Stadium.

Australia boast a fine 13-3 record at their happiest hunting ground, falling only to the might of the All Blacks in 1996, 2006 and 2008.

Despite missing eight first-choice players, including six of their pack and their entire tight-five, the injury-hit Wallabies are $1.25 favourites on Saturday night.

But skipper Rocky Elsom is wary of Ireland, predicting they will play an expansive attacking game with his former Leinster teammate Jonathan Sexton picked ahead of Ronan O'Gara at five-eighth and flanker Shane Jennings causing mischief at the breakdown.

"That suits him, that's his style," Elsom said of Sexton.

"If you compare him and Ronan you would say with Jonny there the game will be more expansive.

"It suits us too. We're under no illusions that an attacking game is when we're at our strongest.

"I'd be surprised if the game didn't open up a bit."

While Elsom indicated the Wallabies were looking more at getting themselves back on track following an infuriating 21-20 loss to England, he admitted the pain of Brian O'Driscoll's last-gasp try for a 20-all draw in November still remained.

The well-worked backline move from an attacking scrum ended Australia's Grand Slam dream after they dominated much of the Dublin Test.

"I don't have any real fond memories of the way that ended," Elsom said.

"I thought we were a stronger team than what we showed."

Although Ireland haven't beaten the Wallabies in Australia for 31 years, their defence coach, former Queensland and Australian league winger Les Kiss, believes they will lift in their last game of a long season.

They come off a 66-28 loss to the All Blacks with 14 men a fortnight ago but Kiss drew on the positives of their attack.

"If you look at the All Blacks game we had 14 men who put four tries on," Kiss said.

"I think it had been 400 minutes since a team had even scored against them, and we did it with 14."

Kiss scored three tries in four Origin matches and even though he never tasted success at Lang Park for the Maroons he felt the stadium would suit their running game.

"(Suncorp is) what I'd call a place where you just want to get out and play, and our guys love that type of atmosphere as well and the type of vibe that comes with it."

The Wallabies will wear black armbands in a mark of respect for former Australian Rugby Union office bearer Ron Meagher and Sydney schoolboy player Kundayi Chiundiza, who both passed away this week, as well as the three Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan this week.

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