Corrys colleagues have been quick to suggest he is cut from the same cloth as World Cup-winning captain Martin Johnson but if there was ever a man to keep things in perspective, it is the man who lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy for England in November 2003.

Jonnos not one to go over the top about anything, Corry said on Wednesday.

He sent me a text message saying something like: 'All the pressures on you now, the country expects.

Johnson, as ever, was direct and straight to the point.

For all the immense pride Corry feels this week, nothing is bigger than England ending it with a victory over Italy in the RBS 6 Nations at Twickenham.

England have lost all three of their championship games and sit level with the Azzurri on the bottom of the table without a single point.

Every time England take the field the public should expect England to win. We have let ourselves down so far, Corry admitted.

The situation we find ourselves in is one we dont want to be in and never want to be in again in the future.

We have a massive game on Saturday which maybe wont put everything right, but it will hopefully go some way to doing so.

The next step is the biggest of all - winning matches and then winning consistently to do justice to what has happened in the last three games.

Corry made his debut for England against Argentina in 1997 but spent much of the next six years locked out of the starting XV by the established back row of Lawrence Dallaglio, Richard Hill and Neil Back.

The retirement of Dallaglio finally opened the door. He was an immense force for England in the autumn and after recovering from an elbow injury, he carried that form into the RBS 6 Nations.

Very early on in my international career I tried to just focus on myself and put selection to the back of mind, said Corry.

If I knew I was doing everything I possibly could I should be able to be comfortable with myself.

Everything I wanted was to start for England. You dont always get what you want and some have to work a lot harder than others to get it.

Being captain was not something I have ever gone around seeking. Its not something I ever really prepared myself for but the honour of leading the side out cant be put it into words. Its immense.