The Andy Robinson who has reinvented himself in Edinburgh may be a new, relaxed model compared with the battered, careworn figure jettisoned as England head coach almost two years ago, but at the Magners League launch in Dub-lin last week he did not attempt to hide his disgust at Rob Andrew’s slating of the 2003 World Cup coaching team for failing to provide a legacy.

Robinson was Sir Clive Woodward’s right-hand man before succeeding him in 2004. His most notable characteristic during the run of defeats that followed, which led to his sacking in 2006 by Andrew – newly appointed as the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) elite rugby director – was a dignified refusal to blame others.

He views Andrew’s recent attack on Woodward’s set-up for leaving English rugby in the lurch as self-serving, inaccurate and unworthy. “Every time Rob opens his mouth, he does not do himself any favours,” Robinson said. “All national and club coaches have a responsibility for developing future England players, and he was a club coach at the time. England also had an academy to develop young players, and it was not the role of the 2003 international coaching team to coach them. That academy was only developed in 2001-2, which was a bit late to be providing players for 2003-4. I don’t want to get into a slanging match, but Rob needs to look in the mirror at times, because his comments are disrespectful.”

Many will see this anger as justifiable in the light of Andrew’s complaint that Robinson and Woodward left English rugby in “a terrible state”. They delivered the William Webb Ellis trophy and huge playing and commercial impetus for the English game. Andrew won a solitary domestic cup final in almost a decade in charge at Newcastle, and two months ago was manager of a disastrous England tour to New Zealand. Furthermore, Woodward’s resignation, and the flawed structure Robinson inherited, were because the RFU was unable to provide the conditions for the legacy Woodward wanted to create, while the academy structure meant to provide the next wave of talent was the remit of Andrew’s predecessor, Chris Spice.

Robinson’s feelings about the appointment of Martin Johnson as England head coach contrast starkly with his criticism of Andrew. “Martin’s involvement is an outstanding move,” he said. “He is a quality person and a quality operator and I wish him every success.”

There was, however, a word of advice for Johnson: “It is a different challenge because as a captain you have a direct influence on the pitch, whereas as a manager or coach you are under pressure on the touchline, and it is about players delivering on your behalf.”

Getting players to deliver has given Robinson his new lease of life in Edinburgh. He impressed the squad with his hands-on coaching so much last season – fourth in the Magners League was the highest finish for a Scottish side, and there were home wins against Leinster and Leicester in the Heineken Cup – that many senior players asked him to confirm he would be staying on before renewing their contracts. Foremost among them was Mike Blair. The outstanding scrum-half is Robinson’s captain and Scotland's strongest candidate for the leadership of the 2009 Lions. Blair has been courted by English and French clubs, but he opted to stay put.

Robinson denies that he is an honorary Scot, but he spends most of each week in Edinburgh, where he has a flat, before returning to Bath and his family. Looking ahead to the start of the Magners League, he says the job satisfaction makes it all worthwhile. “It's great to get back to day-to-day coaching, because that’s what I enjoy most, and I’ve really noticed the passion and thirst for knowledge among the players here.”

The growing confidence evident in Edinburgh’s 22-15 win over English champions Wasps in a friendly at Murrayfield last weekend lends weight to Robinson’s belief that his side could spearhead a Scottish revival. “There’s real potential for that, and there’s certainly the talent, with Mike Blair, flanker Ally Hogg and centres Ben Cairns and Nick De Luca leading the way. Now we need to get some real depth.”

Rob Andrew’s criticism of the 2003 World Cup-winning coaching team left Sir Clive Woodward, in his second year as the British Olympic Association’s elite performance director, so determined to set the record straight that he asked the RFU to release the state-of-the-union report he wrote in 2004, as well as his own appraisal at that time by the RFU chief executive, Francis Baron.The RFU has declined.