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The Scottish Rugby Union will interview up to eight candidates for the Scotland head coach job.

SRU chief executive Gordon McKie has revealed there were more than 30 applications from around the world for the role left vacant when Frank Hadden stood down earlier this month.

The only two confirmed candidates are former England boss Andy Robinson (pictured) - the bookies' favourite - and Scotland forwards coach Mike Brewer.

The SRU announced on Friday the five-man interview panel and McKie has confirmed between six and eight applicants "had the potential to go forward to the next stage".

As well as McKie and SRU chairman Alan Munro, the interview panel includes three former Scotland captains and British and Irish Lions: Andy Irvine, Andy Nicol and Gordon Bulloch.

Nicol was also captain of the Bath side coached by Robinson which won the 1998 Heineken Cup.

"We were keen to get a strong rugby bias on to the panel," McKie told BBC's Rugby Sportsound. "We don't want the 'suits' to make the appointment. We want the people who know rugby to assist us.

"It's a critically important appointment. We've got to get this right. The process will be very thorough.

"We will also be taking soundings from other people in the game - not yet named - and we are also delighted to secure the assistance of the Scottish Institute of Sport.

"We've got a very good list of home and overseas candidates and, contrary to rumour, some of them are of a very high pedigree and we're delighted with the response."

"We will pay the market rate to get the right guy, who in turn will be allowed to bring in the right calibre of backroom staff to take the team forward to the World Cup in 2011."

McKie insists Scotland are capable of achieving more than the one victory they have managed in each of the last three RBS 6 Nations championships, results which ultimate cost Hadden his job.

"I believe what we have is an exciting opportunity for a capable coach to take over the Scotland national team, which is clearly a leading nation," said McKie.

"We've got a good young group of players playing in Edinburgh and Glasgow, each of whom have made progress, we've had good attendances and all the fundamentals are there.

"As a nation, we are all joined up. We own our pro teams so we don't have the same issues that other nations have in respect of releasing players in Scotland."

Sporting Life / Eurosport