A – Under-fire England see victory over the Wallabies as they only way to save a frustrating November campaign.

Both sides are out to avoid a third defeat of the month when they meet at Twickenham on Saturday (early Sunday AEDT), with England carrying an added weight of expectation on home soil a year out from hosting the World Cup.

England skipper Chris Robshaw admits his side is aware of the public anxiety created by five straight losses before last week’s unconvincing win over Samoa.

But he’s backed his players to cast the criticism aside and end 2014 on a high.

“We’ve noticed during this campaign that all the outside stuff has built up more than usual,” Robshaw said.

“As (head coach) Stuart Lancaster said last week, we’re hosting a World Cup next year so we need to get used to this.

“Guys can get fed up with the scrutiny if they are being scrutinised all the time, but I don’t see it affecting a lot of the guys.

“Instead, I see them being able to distance themselves from the negativity coming their way.

“We are playing one of the best teams in world rugby at one of the world’s top stadiums. We can only see that as something to excite and inspire us.”

Saturday’s match is a dress rehearsal for next year’s pool showdown at the World Cup, with Wales offering a third heavyweight presence in the tournament’s ‘group of death’.

Robshaw believes a victory over Australia would create much-needed momentum ahead of February’s Six Nations but another defeat to follow recent losses to New Zealand and South Africa would be a significant blow.

“If we lose, we must view this as a poor campaign. That disappointment would be tough to take for all the guys,” Robshaw said.

“I do not think we’ve gone backwards, but we haven’t moved forwards at the pace we were moving at in last autumn’s series and in the Six Nations.”

England are hoping to squeeze Australia at the set-piece and dominate them at the breakdown, denying the dazzling Wallabies’ backs the quick ball on which they thrive.

But while the Australian scrum has shown its vulnerability in recent weeks, England prop David Wilson is full of respect for a canny Wallabies forward pack.

“They’re not a weak side at the set-piece – they’re no mugs,” Wilson said.

“They’ll be well drilled. They scrummaged well in parts against Ireland and Wales and I’m sure they’ll give us a good run for our money.”