Andrew defends Ashton appointment

Brian Ashton's appointment as England head coach has already come under fire - less than 24 hours since he officially took charge.

But despite former England stars Jeff Probyn and Will Carling expressing reservations, Rob Andrew, the Rugby Football Union's elite rugby director, is convinced he has found the right man.

"Brian is the most experienced coach in England, full stop," said Andrew. "He has experienced pretty much everything in the game there is to experience. I have no doubt whatsoever he is the right guy to move England forward."

He added: "I am sick of looking back to 2003 (England's World Cup triumph), we have to move on, because if we don't then we will stay stuck in this mess."

England have lost eight of their last nine Tests, a sequence which accounted for Robinson, and Ashton has now been charged with turning things around.

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

"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 want to get the enjoyment back into playing the game - I have very firm views on that - and if the players enjoy it you get the best out of them.

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