The emergence of Greig Laidlaw and Duncan Weir persuaded Scotland head coach Andy Robinson it was time to call an end to Dan Parks' Test career ahead of Sunday's RBS 6 Nations clash with Wales in Cardiff.
Parks retired on Tuesday after 266 points in an eight-year career for Scotland and after winning the last of his 67 caps in last Saturday's 13-6 opening loss to England, with the timing, one round into the tournament, questioned in some quarters.
Laidlaw was impressive off the bench and is set to inherit the number 10 jersey in Sunday's Six Nations clash with Wales, while Weir's 20-point haul in leading Scotland A to a 35-0 win over England Saxons last Friday proved his potential as an international.
Laidlaw and Geoff Cross - in at tighthead prop for Euan Murray, who does not play on Sundays for religious reasons - are the only two changes to the starting XV, with uncapped Glasgow Warriors trio Weir, Stuart Hogg and Ed Kalman called up to the bench.
Having asked Parks to stay on following the Rugby World Cup, Robinson effectively ended his international career by not selecting the 33-year-old for Sunday's Test, denying the Cardiff Blues fly-half a final appearance in his adopted home city.
"This was a tough decision for me to make, but I felt it was right for us moving forward," said Robinson.
"I brought him back into the squad for the Six Nations because of the injury to Ruaridh Jackson and the little bit of inexperience of our two 10s (Laidlaw and Weir) that we had.
"It was great to have Greig to come off the bench (against England). I firmly believe we got ourselves in a position to win the game against England, we didn't take that chance.
"Having lost the game it was, in my opinion, right to move on with the two young 10s and to not select Dan this weekend."
Robinson paid tribute to Parks' character and international career, the fly-half having driven Scotland to some memorable wins.
Another notable success almost came in Cardiff in the 2010 tournament, but Wales responded from 24-14 down late in the game to claim a last-gasp win courtesy of a Shane Williams try.
That was in Robinson's first Six Nations campaign as Scotland head coach and while results are still to be realised - the former Bath and England flanker has two wins from 11 matches in the tournament - he believes his side have improved since and the match will have no bearing on Sunday's encounter.
He said: "We've moved forward since then.
"It's a different game from the one we played against England. We're going to have to do a lot more defending, first and foremost, against a very good Welsh side.
"Also we'll have to be sharper in our attacking play."
While much of the fallout from Saturday focused on Parks' charged-down kick which gifted Charlie Hodgson the decisive try for England, Scotland's profligacy with the try-line in sight was also alarming.
Robinson remains certain Scotland are capable of delivering.
"I have real belief in what we're doing," he said.
"I have belief in our ability and that was borne out again by the weekend and the way we played the game - the possession we won at the set-piece, the way we created opportunities.
"It's being able to keep our heads, keep our composure. If we can do that we'll be able to take those opportunities.
"Whatever opportunities are there we've got to make sure we're able to take."
Robinson has described his Six Nations record as "unacceptable" but would not reveal a target for the tournament, focusing only on Wales.
"Our focus is on this next game and getting out there and winning this game," Robinson said.
"The losses that we've had are very disappointing and they hurt so it's vital we head out there and put in a performance."
The challenge against the World Cup semi-finalists, who won in Ireland last weekend, is a formidable one.
Robinson added: "They're a confident squad, they're well coached and they're in an exciting position to be, having won the first game and coming back to play at home.
"We're going to this great cauldron of the Millennium Stadium. It's a fantastic place to play, the guys will be inspired and it's about going out and delivering a performance."
Scotland team: R Lamont (Glasgow Warriors); L Jones (Edinburgh), N De Luca (Edinburgh), S Lamont (Scarlets), M Evans (Castres); G Laidlaw(Edinburgh), C Cusiter (Glasgow Warriors); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), R Ford (capt, Edinburgh), G Cross (Edinburgh), R Gray (Glasgow Warriors), J Hamilton (Gloucester), A Strokosch (Gloucester), R Rennie (Edinburgh), D Denton (Edinburgh).
Replacements: S Lawson (Gloucester), E Kalman (Glasgow Warriors), A Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), J Barclay (Glasgow Warriors), M Blair (Edinburgh), D Weir (Glasgow Warriors), S Hogg (Glasgow Warriors).
