Wales coach Steve Hansen threw a protective arm around his players as they arrived in Edinburgh for tomorrow's RBS Six Nations Championship clash against Scotland at Murrayfield.

Cardiff flanker Martyn Williams Wales' third skipper in three games will lead the wooden spoon candidates into battle.

Williams, a member of the 2001 Lions squad who toured Australia, has replaced injured skipper Jonathan Humphreys, of Bath whose captaincy comeback lasted just one match against England last month after he took over from Colin Charvis.

Hansen, after announcing two changes to his line-up from the 26-9 England defeat in calling up fly-half Stephen Jones and hooker Gareth Williams, said: "Some people in the media don't like him (Charvis) for various reasons, and it has destroyed his playing ability. I don't want that to happen to anyone else.

Humphreys, whose club colleagues Gareth Cooper and Gavin Thomas are playing, has still travelled to add his motivational presence.

He said: "My shoulder is not right, and to say that I am gutted would be an understatement.

"It could take another week, or even two, to clear up, but I am hoping it will be right by the time we play Ireland (on March 22).''

TEAMS: Scotland: G Metcalfe (Glasgow); K Logan (Wasps), J McLaren (Bordeaux-Begles), K Utterson (Borders), C Paterson (Edinburgh); G Townsend (Borders), B Redpath (Sale, capt); T Smith (Northampton), G Bulloch (Glasgow), B Douglas (Borders), S Murray (Edinburgh), S Grimes (Newcastle), J White (Glasgow), S Taylor (Edinburgh), A Mower (Newcastle). Subs: R Russell (Saracens), G Kerr (Leeds), N Hines (Edinburgh), J Petrie (Glasgow), M Blair (Edinburgh), G Ross (Leeds), A Craig (Orrell).

Wales: K Morgan (Swansea); R Williams (Cardiff), M Taylor (Swansea), T Shanklin (Saracens), G Thomas (Bridgend); S Jones (Llanelli), G Cooper (Bath); I Thomas (Llanelli), G Williams (Bridgend), B Evans (Swansea), R Sidoli (Pontypridd), S Williams (Northampton), D Jones (Llanelli), M Williams (Cardiff, capt), G Thomas (Bath). Subs: M Davies (Pontypridd), G Jenkins (Pontypridd), G Llewellyn (Neath), C Charvis (Swansea), D Peel (Llanelli), I Harris (Cardiff), M Watkins (Llanelli).