Andy Robinson has vowed to try and do things his own way after taking over the reins as acting England coach.
Former Bath and England flanker Robinson has stepped into the hot-seat vacated last week by World Cup-winning coach Sir Clive Woodward's shock resignation.
Robinson, 40, has initially been appointed for England's November Test matches against Canada, South Africa and Australia at Twickenham.
But he will be applying for the full-time position, and is a clear favourite as the Rugby Football Union prepare to begin their selection process.
A panel is likely to be set up within the next 24 hours, and Robinson could even make a presentation to it as early as next week.
Robinson today fronted his first press conference - at England's training base in Surrey - since he was handed the caretaker role.
And having spent four years working alongside Woodward as an integral member of England's World Cup coaching team, he is clearly in pole position to take over.
"I firmly believe I am good enough to do the job - my presentation for the management board will underline that," said Robinson.
"I have got every confidence in myself. It is an honour that I have been asked to do this role, and I will hopefully do it my way.
"I am excited about the challenge. I have come from a background where everything is about winning, the winning mentality and the winning edge.
"It is about putting the players first - player management is massive."
Robinson revealed he has no plans at this stage to make any additions to the England coaching team while the identity of Lawrence Dallaglio's replacement as captain has not yet been decided.
Jonny Wilkinson, Richard Hill, Phil Vickery and Will Greenwood were all mentioned by Robinson today as players with leadership qualities, and he added: "The captain has got to be guaranteed his place in his team, he has got to have the respect of everyone and he must lead from the front.
"I don't see the captain as a short-term matter, you expect him to be there for a long time."
Robinson's first England training session at the helm will be on September 20, by which time the RFU selection process should be well under way, if not completed.
"We are not going to hang about, the process will be under way very shortly," said RFU chief executive Francis Baron.
"We are setting up the panel, and we have an established process that we go through. Andy has been England coach for four years - he is in pole position for the job."
Other candidates, such as Newcastle rugby director Rob Andrew and Gloucester boss Nigel Melville, have publicly distanced themselves from the job.
It is not beyond the realms of possibility that a candidate could overtake Robinson in the running for the job, but everything is pointing to him becoming Woodward's long-term successor.
Robinson also weighed into the debate over whether Sir Clive Woodward should take the British and Irish Lions to New Zealand next year.
"In my opinion, he should lead the Lions - he's the right person for them," he said. "There were major headlines last week, but it mustn't be taken away, the role that Clive had, which was to make England the No.1 team in the world and win the World Cup. That came from Clive, his inspiration and his enthusiasm.
"In everything that Clive has ever done, he's been successful. I am not his historian, but in my dealings with him and through my knowledge of him, he's always been successful.
"What he brings with him is that enthusiasm, that passion and that belief in himself and in what he is trying to do."
Robinson, an obvious candidate for Woodward's coaching staff, was non-committal about his own prospects of making the trip.
"The Lions is a little compartment of eight weeks, and there will obviously be a lot of England players going on that tour," he added.
"The comment I will make is that I learnt a lot on my last Lions tour (Australia 2001), good and bad. I learnt a lot about the players, I learnt a lot about myself, but I also learnt a lot about Australia and the way they performed."
Earlier this week, Lions manager and former England captain Bill Beaumont stated the committee meeting was simply a case of "clearing the air".
Beaumont said: "The appointment stands no matter what. My own view is that Clive will be taking the squad to New Zealand."
And Wales coach Mike Ruddock yesterday also threw his weight fully behind Woodward, pledging he and the Welsh Rugby Union management would give the Lions every help they could in the run-up to next summer.
"I think he definitely has to do the Lions job," said Ruddock. "I don't know Clive too well, but we texted him messages of support when he got the Lions position.
"Also, the WRU has decided on our policy not to restrict our coaches to working solely on our tour of America and Canada next year, so that we can help him with his Lions preparations if he wishes."
