By Steve Scott, rugby correspondent

CANADA MIGHT shrink from comparisons with New Zealand and South Africa, but today’s test against the side ranked 15th in the world could be every bit as important for Frank Hadden’s Scotland.

After one reasonable performance followed by an exceptional one, many in the Scotland camp are now bristling at the mention of “progress”—even the national coach himself.

For some, there’s been enough progress and not enough achievement.

Suggestions that the Scots produced the best performance of any of the home nations last week and that several players in the agonising 14-10 loss to the Springboks effectively booked their place in the British Lions squad to tour South Africa next summer have been met with shrugs.

The thing is the Scots knew they were as good as they showed against the Springboks, it was just that not many (including this observer) believed or agreed with them—as far as they were concerned, defeat by four points to the world champions was just another defeat.

What was nagging at them afterwards was that this third autumn test—moved to Aberdeen to ensure a near sell-out crowd at Pittodrie in a welcome reversal of the SRU’s previous stated policy of keeping all tests at Murrayfield —doesn’t offer the same opportunity to prove themselves.

Not that they underestimate the Canadians—as the Wales management and players did last week only to get a rather rude shock for their troubles—it’s just that this is the match that bridges the gap between competing with the intensity of the top two teams in the world and the Six Nations, where intensity is endemic, and it seems to be modest fare.

Fortunately, with a couple of major exceptions, Hadden has kept the stakes high by managing to resist the temptation to rest players after the gruelling events of the last fortnight.

Had the Canadian test split the two southern hemisphere giants, he would probably have rested key men—and there was still that option.

Hadden has changed the back row to accommodate Simon Taylor and Alasdair Strokosch with John Barclay—who, while only 22, is now one of the first names on the team-sheet—and come up with what might be a better balanced trio.

Injuries in the back line give Rory Lamont a shot at what many people believe is his best position—full-back—where his open field running and uncanny ability not to be stopped by the first tackle can be used more freely.

Simon Webster and Nikki Walker come in on the wings with the onus on them to make an impression with Max Evans, equally at home at wing or centre, thought to be the coming force.

But it’s what Hadden and his coaching team haven’t changed that is most encouraging, and what might make this match a lot more than a round-off to the first part of the international season.

After two strength-sapping tests, the coach has kept the front five together—a vote of confidence that suggests he believes this is the unit that will carry Scotland forward, and the way they dominated the New Zealand and South African scrummages indicates he may well be right.

The other reason for allowing them to continue is that the lineout remains a work in progress.

If Ross Ford can start to find his radar with regularity, his ability in other areas will mean Euan Murray won’t be the only Scot in the Lions front row next June.

Hadden is also right to keep his midfield together for vastly different reasons.

Phil Godman, Nick De Luca and Ben Cairns have had, at best, a mixed November so far—Godman and De Luca have had bad runs in the Scotland team before and they are all still finding themselves at this level.

However, although the coach may still be thinking about the injured Graeme Morrison for next year, this is the best looking trio available to him and he is right to persist with them.

Although they play together for Edinburgh, they have yet to become accustomed to test rugby and deserve time to acclimatise.

Godman made some errors last week against the Springboks— particularly in those furious final minutes—but he still deserves to get in ahead of Dan Parks, without it being a sop to those who booed the Glasgow stand-off at Murrayfield last week.

Parks may be unloved by the Scottish fans in general, but Godman needs his chance because he is the better option at present— on the players’ form for their pro-teams this year—and because he has more potential still than Parks, who—let’s face it—has had many more chances than his rival.

The fact that Parks is a better goalkicker than Godman— although this season’s stats say otherwise—should mean less this week, and this will surely be a game in which Chris Paterson is not so missed.

The proviso for retaining the midfield is that this game against Canada is where the trio have to show what they are capable of.

Cairns in particular could thrive with just a little more room than he’s been afforded in the last two tests, and one would hope they will cash in.

The final factor in what makes this a more fascinating match than it might have been is that Scotland’s game philosophy will not change.

The Scots, who watched Wales go out and try to score from their own 22 whenever they got the ball almost from the first whistle last week, will pay the Canadians much more respect.

Expect a solid set-piece and a structured game early on to build a score and, if circumstances allow, the more florid stuff will come later.

Whatever transpires, we should see the Scots being ruthless with the minnows for once and continue to build confidence for a renaissance in 2009.