Bath wake up to Robinson: Rebuilding the legend: The two giants of rugby confront their rivals on Saturday knowing only a win will do

Paul Trow talks to the flanker turned coach who faces his first real test

To say that a lot is expected of Andy Robinson in his new job is an understatement. The former England and British Lions flanker may not be under the same hostile microscope as Cliff Brittle or Jack Rowell, but his honeymoon as ringmaster at the country's top club is almost over.

Robinson, who took over as the Bath coach last month when Brian Ashton fell on his sword and crossed the Irish Sea, faces his first major test on Saturday when Leicester visit the Recreation Ground in the Pilkington Cup. If Bath lose to their great rivals, then, at a stroke, their season can be no more than half as successful as last year's campaign which yielded their fourth "double" since 1989.

"Leicester have always had a formidable pack, but now they're more effective with the ball in hand," said Robinson. "They had enough possession against us to have won the last cup final and our penalty try was a bit lucky. On the other hand, we outscored them by three tries to nil this season in the league and lost to a penalty try. Brive may have given them the run-around, but Leicester still led 9-8 after 54 minutes."

True to the cheerful yet combative spirit with which he always played as a terrier-like open-side poacher, Robinson is happy to shoulder the pressures of game-keeping. "There's a lot of responsibility on me but there is on the players," said Robinson, whose eight England caps spanned almost as many years.

Coaches often go misty-eyed when they talk about style nowadays but for Bath, winners of nine cups and six Courage League titles over the last decade or so, trophies remain of paramount importance. "Hopefully we can maintain Bath's form for a few years yet. People think we've had a quiet season but we're still in the cup and aren't out of it in the league. No side has ever done consecutive doubles. Whenever we've done it, we've always lost the following season in something.

"We started this season with a lot of pressure on us and probably over- did our reaction to it. The press said we were the best side in Europe and we failed to live up to that expectation. Many of our rivals improved by signing world-class players, but the arrival of professionalism didn't help. The captain used to select the side with the coach. The coach would run training and the captain would run the club. Now there's more responsibility on the back-room team."

Despite steering his pupils at Colston's Collegiate in Bristol to two national schools Under-18 titles, professionalism has ended his teaching career."Do I miss it? Coaching Bath is a bit like schoolteaching. No, that's not true. The kids were much easier. Seriously, though, I don't miss it at all. I've always aspired to do what I'm doing now. It's come earlier than expected, but I grab opportunities when they come."

One opportunity he does look back on with pleasure is Bath's recent association with the Wigan rugby league players Henry Paul and Jason Robinson. "It was excellent. I enjoyed training, talking and playing with Henry and Jason. They had a marvellous attitude, very professional. It was difficult to comprehend they were only 22. I'm disappointed Henry got injured because we didn't see the best of him. Jason was outstanding even though he struggled when the pitches got wetter. It was a one-off but it worked well for Bath."

It also enhanced competition for places. "After adopting a squad system earlier on, we've gone back to picking the best team for each match. It didn't really work because everybody likes to be in the first-choice side, but I'm still keeping myself fit in case we have an injury crisis," said Robinson, who is 33 in April. "We're going into the Leicester game with a positive attitude and I haven't even thought about the possibility of defeat. Rugby is mainly about the players on the pitch. You give them a framework and hope they choose the right options. I've always got on well with the other players and I aim to be honest at all times. I'm definitely not a dictator."