Stuart Lancaster admits his England fate hinges on beating Wales and Australia after controversial Rugby World Cup selections

• Stuart Lancaster said only a win against Wales will deem him a success
• England coach has been criticised for going for brute force in midfield
• Sam Burgess will start with Owen Farrell replacing fly-half George Ford
• Lancaster conceded he will be made or broken on whether they win
• England's fate will likely be decided by results against Wales and Australia
• Rugby World Cup 2015 news: CLICK HERE for all the latest from RWC 

By Chris Foy for the Daily Mail

Published: 16:32 EST, 24 September 2015 | Updated: 03:49 EST, 25 September 2015

Stuart Lancaster has admitted that his entire England regime will be defined by selections and results over the next two matches – starting with Saturday's showdown against Wales at Twickenham.

The head coach knows it has reached make-or-break time in his tenure, as he prepares for World Cup encounters with the Welsh and Australia in the space of seven days. 

Having launched a fervent defence of the decision to drop George Ford, reinstate Owen Farrell and promote Sam Burgess into the hosts’ starting XV, Lancaster conceded that he will stand or fall by what happens next.

England's starting centres for Wales, Sam Burgess (left) and Brad Barritt, train at Pennyhill Park on Thursday

England captain Chris Robshaw puts in the hard yards with some resistance training on Thursday

Owen Farrell's inclusion in the starting XV for the key pool A clash has proven most controversial

Stuart Lancaster takes full responsibility for the selections and says his success or failure hinges on them

Asked if he will be judged on this match against Wales, more than any other, he said: ‘I think that was always going to be the case; this game and the one against Australia.’ 

He was then asked if the latest selection heightened that sense of impending judgement and added: ‘Clearly.

‘If we win the game it will be judged a success, if we lose the game - regardless of what selection I made - you'll all be questioning the selection I made in the first place. It will come down ultimately to the next two games. I understand the consequences and the stakes because it's the World Cup.’

Despite hostility towards the decision to omit Ford in particular, Lancaster was resolute on Thursday in insisting England were turning to the power-based formula which was most likely to break down an aggressive Wales defence. 

There was no attempt on his part to shy away from the responsibility for the selection. ‘The final decision is mine and mine alone,’ he said.

England's forwards practise their lineout jumping at Pennyhill Park ahead of the much-anticipated Wales clash

Omitted No 10 George Ford (second right) listens to backs coach Andy Farrell (left) with Burgess and Farrell 

Lancaster says he 'understand(s) the consequences and the stakes' of their Australia and Wales games 

Lancaster was adamant that the selection did not reflect ‘panic’ based on the threat posed by Wales’ big backs and that England would not merely adopt a ‘route one’ attacking approach. 

On the contentious No 10 switch, he said: ‘I’ve not brought in a guy who’s got no experience. In my mind, they are both word-class players and we are just playing in a different way, a different order.

‘Owen has that quality defensively and with his goal-kicking, game management and temperament, but he’s learned a lot from George by training with him the last three months. 

'We’ve got to get away from the stenotype of what Owen Farrell is as an attacking player. People are trying to say we can’t play any attacking rugby with a different line-up, but I don’t see it that way.

Ford is said to be disappointed about his demotion to the bench but Lancaster says he's world class

Burgess (left), Barritt and Ben Youngs take a break as they prepare for Saturday's showdown at Twickenham 

‘Obviously George is disappointed, but it is how you deal with disappointment, and he has already turned it into determination to improve and show me and the coaches why he should start.’

Lancaster was emphatic in endorsing Burgess’s elevation to the starting line-up, saying: ‘I am 100 per cent certain he is ready for it.’ 

Meanwhile, he suggested that injured pair Ben Morgan and Jonathan Joseph may both return to training next week

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