Scotland coach Ian McGeechan has backed his young stars to perform against Canada West on Tuesday night and has not ruled any of them out from making the Test squad.

He believes up to seven of the midweek side are in a position to challenge for a cap on Saturday but made it clear it is up to them to produce the performance to earn the honour.

The Scotland boss singled out Nikki Walker, the former Hawick wing who has just joined the new Borders team, for particular mention, recalling how the 21-year-old not only showed raw determination in scoring a try in his first outing in a Scotland shirt a week ago but twice raced back to save what looked like certain tries.

"That's the sort of heart you need, the determination never to give up," McGeechan said. "That was an exceptional performance from a young player."

McGeechan, has stuck with close to the same side that defeated Canada East last week with only three changes in personnel, two of them enforced.

Nathan Hines, the Edinburgh lock, is needed for the top side on Saturday and is replaced by Nathan Ross, his Glasgow counterpart who joined the tour only last Friday.

Martin Leslie has gone home injured, so Andy Dall, another call-up, takes his place.

The other change sees Allan Jacobsen coming in at prop for Joel Brannigan.

Behind Ben Hinshelwood, the Worcester full-back, Tom Philip, the 18-year-old Edinburgh centre and Marcus Di Rollo all get a shot at trying to impress the coach in their favourite positions after being pressed into other roles last week.

Scotland team: B Hinshelwood (Worcester); N Walker (Borders), T Philip (Edinburgh), A Henderson (Glasgow); G Ross (Edinburgh), G Burns (Edinburgh); A Jacobsen (Edinburgh), S Brotherstone (Newcastle), B Douglas (Borders), N Ross (Glasgow), A Hall (Glagow), A Dall (Edinburgh), D Macfadyen (Glasgow), A Hogg (Edinburgh). Replacements: G Bulloch (Glasgow), J Brannigan (Edinburgh), S Grimes (Newcastle), S Taylor (Edinburgh), M Blair (Edinburgh), G Metcalfe (Glasgow), B Laney (Edinburgh).