Having seen his side written off in many quarters at the start of the tournament, Scotland coach Vern Cotter believes his players will be fired by determination to prove their critics wrong when they take on Wales in the RBS 6 Nations Championship at BT Murrayfield tomorrow afternoon.

The Scots lost their opening match against France in Paris last Saturday, but most observers thought they were far more impressive in their 15-8 defeat than Wales had been as they began their championship with a 16-21 home loss to England in Cardiff the previous evening.

Speaking of his players preparations to face Wales, Cotter said: "They have been working hard this week to improve, knowing that we're coming up against a team who lost as well,and a team who considered themselves title contenders.

"We were told there were four teams in contention for the title - and we weren't one of them. We're now playing against a team who consider it just a day in the office to come up and beat us.

The last remaining tickets for the match were snapped up by supporters yesterday, and Cotter said he expected his side to be animated by the sell-out crowd as they make their first appearance at Murrayfield since their two games there in November.

"The players are obviously motivated an enthused by the support. I mean, it was a terrific autumn series and the players loved the atmosphere. One of the reasons the players will definitely play well is that they're in front of their crowd. And they'll be playing for a win."

Cotter has had to make two changes to the side which started last weekend's game. In the backs, veteran winger Sean Lamont takes over from Tommy Seymour, who suffered a hip injury against the French, while in the pack Geoff Cross comes in for tighthead prop Euan Murray, who does not play on Sundays for religious reasons.

Lamont, 34, who was not considered last weekend due to a calf problem, will be making his 92nd appearance for his country, and will be - by some distance - the oldest man in a backline that has acquired a youthful look while Cotter has been in charge. However, the coach stressed that he had every faith that the Glasgow Warriors is still capable of delivering Test-level performances.

"Sean brings us experience," Cotter explained. "He's an influential person within the group, an old head who sets standards for himself and his team-mates. It's good to get him back in there and get him involved again.

"He's come back fully fit and he gives us speed and strength. He's a big man - and he's got a fierce determination to play well. I think he's a great asset to the group. Supposedly he had an injury that was going to last a couple of weeks, but Sean seems to heal a lot quicker than everybody else."

There are three changes on the Scotland bench as well. With Cross's promotion to the starting lineup, Glasgow prop Jon Welsh is added to the replacements. Meanwhile, Dougie Fife, who scored the only try in Paris after coming on for Seymour last weekend, drops out of the squad, as does Peter Horne, Their respective places are taken by Greig Tonks and Matt Scott, both of Edinburgh.

"It is a show of faith by not making too many changes," siad Cotter of his overall selection strategy. "With back-to-back games, it's important that we keep the team cohesion as much as possible.

It's tough on Dougie Fife, I know, because he did some good things against France.

Accepting that another defeat is possible, Cotter stressed that he was looking for a big performance from his side.

"I think there are different ways to lose. As we discussed, the idea is to have no regrets. We prepare as best as possible and execute as best as possible.

"The players were the first to acknowledge that we'd come close against France - but they themselves identified the things we'd learned as individuals and as a group. So there was a very positive response following the loss in Paris, which could have gone either way.

"We know it's not going to be easy, which is why the Six Nations is important to us. It enables us to come up against teams like this. Angry teams. Teams who are ranked better than us.

"We would like to get up and be considered one of those top-four teams. At the moment we're not. So it's a challenge for us and we look forward to rolling up our sleeves and getting into it.

"These guys will be giving it everything. So it'll be what it'll be, and we'll take it from there. There is a real motivation to play well - and we might surprise somebody."