Andy Robinson insists his dual-captaincy model was right for Scotland as he came to terms with his first injury withdrawals as head coach.

Eyebrows were raised on Monday when Robinson announced Mike Blair and Chris Cusiter would share the armband during this month's autumn internationals, with the side skippered by whichever scrum-half was on the field at the time.

"I think by sharing the captaincy off the pitch and working together, they can forge a really great partnership and I've really seen that with the way the two of them speak to each other and the way that they lead," former England boss Robinson said ahead of his first game in charge against Fiji next Saturday.

Edinburgh's Blair and Glasgow's Cusiter have been vying for the number nine jersey for years.

Robinson added: "They have the respect of the players that are playing with them and they're very competitive.

"I love that competitive edge that they have and I've also enjoyed the fact that they get on very well together as well.

"I've been pleased so far with how both of them have captained and led in meetings."

Robinson, who revealed he had already selected his starting XV, attempted to play down the significance of the armband itself by insisting he was looking for leadership responsibility to be spread around the field.

He said: "We've got vice-captains working below that, we've got a leader of the line-out, leader of the scrum, leader of defence and attack, all have input in this, so it's sharing the leadership, which means that the guys can focus on their own performances.

"It's not just about the two captains, and I think that's a key part to understand, that the captain has an important role to play but the most important thing for a captain is that he performs himself."