England's coaches and players have set their sights on winning the Six Nations championship after narrowly failing to become the first side this year to defeat the All Blacks. England saw a 22-20 lead slip away in the final quarter but Saturday's stirring contest has convinced them they are capable of winning high-profile tournaments sooner rather than later.

Mike Brown, the home side's most consistent player of the autumn series, says the New Zealand result has merely made England hungrier. "We have a belief we can go on and win the Six Nations," confirmed Brown, acknowledging England must start lifting titles soon if they are to be serious contenders to win the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

England's captain Chris Robshaw, who suffered a sizeable black eye after a first-half collision, is also seeking a positive reaction when England regather in the New Year. "We are improving game by game, week by week and tournament by tournament and we must make sure we continue that. We've finished second now for the last two years and the only way for us to improve is hopefully to get the title. That's the aim. The good teams don't fall short. They take their opportunities."

Injury to the hooker Dylan Hartley, who has been released from hospital after receiving treatment for a bruised lung, did not assist England's cause on Saturday and Stuart Lancaster admitted he was disappointed by the inaccuracy which cost his side in the final quarter. "If we want to be genuine World Cup contenders we have to look at the areas which we didn't get quite right which put us under pressure," said the head coach. "During that five-minute period in and around their last try a couple of lineouts weren't nailed and a couple of our exits weren't good enough.

"Against a counterattacking side of the quality of New Zealand that is the difference between losing and winning. It was a game we could have won. We were winning the collisions, our forwards were on top but we didn't close out the game. We have lost two of our last 11 games and I will remember both defeats more than the victories. I am sure the players are the same."

Lancaster was, however, encouraged by his side's overall progress over the autumn as they build towards 2015. "From my point of view we've definitely made strides. The most important thing is that the belief is there within the players that they can do it. We've got a great group of young players who are going to be around way beyond 2015. New Zealand had nine players over 30 in their match-day 23. People say to me it's all about winning in the here and now but I don't think anyone would be happy if I picked a really experienced team that didn't quite have the legs to get to 2015. All roads lead to that and beyond."

Lancaster also stressed he hoped New Zealand, minus the injured Dan Carter and Tony Woodcock, beat Ireland this weekend and become the first Test team in the professional era to go through a calendar year unbeaten. "I went into their changing-room to say well done and congratulate them on their victory because they deserve that respect. I do hope they get that unbeaten record. I think they probably deserve it."

England and the All Blacks are due to play each other four times in 2014 but Lancaster will be unable to select his strongest side for their next meeting in the southern hemisphere on 7 June because it is too close to the previous weekend's Premiership final at Twickenham. "I don't think it renders the series meaningless but it's certainly not ideal. It was an inherited situation I found myself in. We'll still go into the first Test with 100% commitment to win it. For creating depth it's actually a good thing."

The fly-half Owen Farrell, either way, believes England still have plenty of improvement in them. "In the three weeks we have come so far. We're a good team and as we play together more we'll keep adding detail. It all builds up to the World Cup; that's the goal. Everyone wants to win that in 2015."