While Glasgow Warriors have decided to field two World Cup players - Fergus Thomson and John Barclay - against Leinster on Saturday night, Edinburgh have decided to give all nine of their international players three weeks off.

That means a host of key players - including Allister Hogg, Mike Blair and Simon Webster - will miss Edinburgh's match on Saturday against Newport Gwent Dragons at Murrayfield.

"They've been told to go away and recover, and will come back to the squad on October 22," said Robinson.

"It's been a tough World Cup. They've had some really tough matches, so it is important that all those players get a break after the effort they have put in, and that will serve everybody throughout the whole season.

"You've got to remember that these guys started training full on in June, and its quite emotional what they've been through as well as physical, so they need to get over that and have time to be with their families.

"Having won the World Cup in 2003, some England players were playing the following week for their club, which was completely wrong.

"Rugby is a tough game to play physically and mentally, and when you play international rugby it is a real sacrifice to your family as well, so we have to take that into account because we want every guy who plays for us to be operating at 100% of their ability."

Rather than being a blow to his team's prospects of climbing up the Celtic League table, Robinson regards the absence of some of his most experienced campaigners to work as a blessing in disguise.

The former England head coach expects the players who are available to raise their game in an effort to cement their place in the team.

"We don't have a fixture next weekend, so this will be the final game before the World Cup players come back into the squad, and it's an opportunity for every player to stake their case - not only individually but also as a team," he added.

Robinson will not be able to attend Saturday's match as he has a long-standing media commitment covering the World Cup.