Owen Farrell insists he is taking no notice of the critics as he prepares to start for England in Saturday's World Cup showdown with Wales at Twickenham.
The 23-year-old Saracens fly-half has been preferred to Bath's George Ford for the No 10 jersey by head coach Stuart Lancaster for the crucial Pool A game.
Farrell lost his place to Ford during the November 2014 internationals after some erratic displays for England, but Lancaster was forced to reconsider how he will deploy his backline following Jonathan Joseph's injury, with Sam Burgess also brought in at inside centre.
Lancaster's team selection has sparked plenty of debate over the last couple of days with many disagreeing with his decision to axe Ford.
Farrell said: "People can say what they want. It's the people inside the camp that count to me, the people around me.
"External factors don't matter to us. We go into the game looking forward to it. It's a massive challenge and everybody is excited about it.
"All I am trying to do is to do my best for the team. That's what I have been doing all summer, [we have been] trying to push each other as much as we can to try and be the best players that we can be.
"That's what I try and do every week so it is what it is, and I have got this opportunity."
Farrell, who came off the bench to replace Ford in England's 35-11 win over Fiji, insists his friendship with his rival remains as strong as ever.
He said: "We have been exactly the same. Absolutely normal. We talk about everything anyway, it's pretty open between us.
"It's exactly the same as it was last week, as it was in the autumn when he got picked and I went on the bench. Exactly the same.
"Rugby-wise we are two people who are obsessed with the game. We like to talk about it and we are probably a bit boring - all we talk about is rugby."
Graham Rowntree offered a coach's perspective on the biggest selection call of Lancaster's stewardship.
"Owen has been exceptional for us coming off the bench and George has also been exceptional," forwards coach Rowntree said.
"For this game we have gone with this selection as a reflection of who we are playing against. Simple as. It's not a 23-man job, it's a 31-man job.
"You've got to choose the right tools for what's in front of you. That's what most teams do around the world, that's selection.
"For this game, we've gone with those players. We could change it next week but we are entitled to do so. It's incorrect to just put out the same team every week."
Cipriani support
Meanwhile, Sale fly-half Danny Cipriani, who failed to make the final 31-man squad for the tournament, has backed Lancaster's call.
"Starting Sam Burgess and Owen Farrell gives England a hard-nosed edge," said Cipriani.
"Burgess is a champion. It might be in a different sport, but that charisma and mentality can easily translate into other competition. It's the attitude and DNA of a champion that is unique and Burgess has it.
"England aren't panicking in any way, shape or form. This is what England were probably thinking about from a while ago.
"They know Wales bring a physical in-your-face defence, and now the Welsh might have to re-think how to defend against the English. Stuart Lancaster is very particular and very methodical. He doesn't make rash decisions."
Burgess will come up against highly experienced Wales and Lions centre Jamie Roberts on Saturday.
"Sometimes the new young gun coming into a team is going to provide more energy and more aggression than somebody who has 70 caps," Cipriani said.
"But this is different, because of Burgess's lack of union experience. Wales may try and exploit this, but it could also be one of Sam's strengths.
"He's a smart lad, and if you run in his vicinity you are going to get hit. And hit hard. It's the kind of contact Jamie Roberts is probably not used to, so it's going to be an intriguing battle between the two of them."
Cipriani believes Farrell will relish the atmosphere at Twickenham.
"Owen Farrell fronts up in the big games and although people claim he hasn't the same skill set as George Ford, he's done some tricky little things in training and he works extremely hard," he said.
"He is a tough guy who lives for the big occasion so he'll thrive against Wales."