CANADA will not be the pushovers the USA were when they face Wales in Toronto on Saturday, warns their 55-times capped prop Rod Snow who has just finished a ten-year career with Newport and Newport Gwent Dragons.

Wales stormed to a record 77-3 victory over the Americans last Saturday, running in 11 tries, all converted by Ceri Sweeney, despite being without their ten British Lions.

But though Snow expects his fellow Canadians to put up a far more spirited performance he confesses he still expects a largely inexperienced home team to fall to Wales, even if the tourists are below strength.

"A lot of key Canadian players have retired and it's a very young developing side now," said Snow, on a short visit back to Wales at the weekend to play in the Scott Quinnell-Rob Howley joint testimonial before returning to his native Newfoundland for good on Tuesday.

"But I'd like to think the Canada team will bring tenacity, aggression and definitely a more stern defence to their game against Wales," Snow added. "They will certainly be more organised, they've played a few games recently and I would stress on them the need to tackle and defend well. If they do, there is every chance of them being in the game.

"I don't think it'll be the same as against the USA who were poor, and it won't be 70 points.

"But Canada are not talented enough to really compete with Wales who had incredible pace behind and athletic forwards against the USA.

"You can't take it away from Wales, they were very skilled and they'll be better again this week because they will have trained together more."

Apart from losing talismanic players like Snow and Al Charron, Canada will be without leading lock Mike James, who is in the Stade Francais squad for next week's French final after they beat Gareth Thomas' Toulouse in last week's semi-final.

Number eight Colin Yukes will be another absentee as he is also still playing in France, but Canada will be helped by Jonathan Humphreys, the former Cardiff and Wales captain who has just finished at Bath and is new forwards coach of the Ospreys.

Snow will not be involved in the Wales game as the schedule was too tight for him after his finale at Rodney Parade, but there is a possibility he might play later in the Summer in the Churchill Cup against England and the USA and one final time in the fixture against Argentina.

"It's a bit nervous starting the rest of your life, but all the family are there to help us," he said. "And I'm only a four or five hour flight away. It's not as if I'm in Vancouver. So I'll be back as often as possible at Rodney Parade.

"I'll be keeping in touch with everything via the internet back home."