Corry also said former South Sydney Rabbitohs star Sam Burgess remains an unknown X-factor in England's line-up as he attempts to find his feet in the 15-a-side game.

England is in danger of an embarrassing and disastrous exit from the World Cup and a loss to the Wallabies on Saturday night (Sunday morning AEST) would be the killer blow.

Coach Stuart Lancaster and captain Chris Robshaw have copped a barrage of criticism after the team's loss to Wales last weekend.

NRL convert Burgess has also been in the firing line and is set to be dropped to the bench for the clash against the Wallabies.

Corry is no stranger to World Cup scrutiny, having been in charge when his team was smashed 36-0 by South Africa in the group stages at the 2007 tournament.

But 67-Test and former British and Irish Lions back-rower Corry expects the crowd to rally behind the under-seige team and be a decisive factor against Australia.

"I think there's a huge amount of expectation on the players, but the pressure over here ... this is at another level," HSBC ambassador Corry said.

"Rugby is in a good place in England, but with that comes huge expectation.

"Now it's the serious stuff ... in these big games, the home support has to be the difference and the deciding factor between England being successful or not."

Corry managed to rally his team eight years ago to make the final, but they were beaten by South Africa again in the decider.

Corry says there's a major difference between the early struggles he experienced and those in front of Lancaster and Robshaw.

"My message to the team is don't panic," Corry said.

"There are similarities between us and them in that we were in a hole ... But we had an absolute humiliation. We came away from that game knowing we had to make fundamental changes to the way we play.

"But all this team has to do, I believe, is tighten up on a couple of areas. [In 2007] we were in proper panic mode."

Australia cannot afford to drop the game against England with Wales leading the pool of death charge.

Only two teams will progress to the next stage of the tournament and the winner of the Australia-England battle will have the upperhand with one game remaining in the pool stages.

The Wallabies have won just nine of their 23 trips to Twickenham, including losing three of the past four matches.

"I sense a very different atmosphere at Twickenham than I do normally for this massive game," Corry said.

"It will be fever pitched, this is the game that everyone is talking about."

Burgess has been one of the biggest talking points of England's World Cup campaign.

He was picked in the squad despite having played just two Tests and was rushed into the starting XV at inside centre for the match against Wales.

Past players and coaches from around the globe have lined up to take a swing at the former South Sydney Rabbitohs star for his lack of rugby knowledge and game awareness.

Corry's former British and Irish Lions teammate Gordon D'Arcy said Burgess' "naivety embarrassed those around him".

But Corry, who was speaking at a HSBC function, still believes Burgess has plenty to offer England's World Cup hopes.

"Without doubt he's on the fast track and he's had a lot of opportunities which his past has afforded him.

"You just think, the way he's come in very very quickly ... we don't know what he is in rugby yet.

"I don't know ... clearly he's got this character around him and England rugby needs a Sonny Bill Williams character.

"We need somebody in the back line who can give us that go forward and Burgess and [Brad] Barritt are the only ones."