The former England coach Andy Robinson has applied for the Scotland job vacated by Frank Hadden three weeks ago.

"I decided that I wanted to go into the interview process and if you put yourself forward then obviously you want the role," Robinson said. "This is a great opportunity for me and I feel like I can make a difference in the international game in Scotland."

He added that Scotland were a team with a lot of potential. "The Scottish players are working hard and improving but you can't make big leaps," he said. "It's about the consistency of improvement and I think the players are showing that."

Robinson, 45, who is Edinburgh's head coach, will face competition from Scotland's forwards coach, Mike Brewer, who is the only other candidate to confirm his interest. However, it is thought the Scottish Rugby Union has received a number of applications from around the world.

"We are currently engaged in a recruitment process to identify a new head coach for Scotland to ensure that we raise the standard of the Scotland team," said Gordon McKie, the chief executive of the SRU. "We anticipate that the new head coach will act as a catalyst for not only our national team but indeed assist in other elements of our strategic plan including raising player numbers and increasing competition.

"We have been pleased with the quality of applicants for the post of Scotland head coach and we will now begin the process of reviewing the applications with a view to getting the interviews under way as soon as is practicable."