I want to see players playing with a smile on their faces England head coach Brian Ashton

England were twice booed off the pitch in the autumn by a Twickenham crowd frustrated by the failure to produce either results or encouraging displays.

A run of eight defeats in nine Tests saw previous coach Andy Robinson forced to resign at the end of November.

"The key is to get back the enjoyment in playing the game," said Ashton.

Report: Ashton handed England challenge

Interview: England head coach Brian Ashton

The 60-year-old has established a reputation as one of the most innovative coaches in the sport after his previous positions with England, Bath and Ireland.

"You get the best out of players if they enjoy it," added Ashton, who was promoted from his role as England's attack coach.

"It's about creating an atmosphere that the players want to come to and be involved in.

"What I need to make sure happens is we put in place a team that can handle any situation thrown at them. The key thing is to have flexibility of thought.

"I have always enjoyed challenging players, and I want to see players playing with a smile on their faces.

It is really important everyone in the game now looks forward England director of elite rugby Rob Andrew

"We have to make sure we do the foundations - scrums, line-outs and outplaying the opposition in the tackle area - correctly.

"If you get those things right then you start winning games."

England's slump to seventh in the IRB world rankings has seen them all but written off for next year's World Cup.

But Ashton insisted his side could still be genuine contenders in France.

"I think we have bottomed out, if not there will be a lot of pain coming my way," he said.

"If all the players are fit and available England will punch their weight not only in the Six Nations but in the World Cup as well.

"We will be going to the World Cup hopefully in a position to mount a very strong defence of it. It would be fantastic to be the first team to retain it, but there is a long way to go before then."

England's director of elite rugby Rob Andrew said there are currently no plans to appoint a manager alongside Ashton.

"We are looking forward, and I have no doubts whatsoever that Brian is the right guy to move England forward," said Andrew.

"It is really important everyone in the game now looks forward. I am sick of looking back to (the World Cup win in) 2003 - we have to move on, because if we don't, we will stay stuck in this mess."