Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend was a Scotland team-mate of Weir and played against him for clubs in Scotland and England.
“He was a brilliant team-mate. He’s one of the very few players who could keep certain coaches in check – he could wrap Jim Telfer round his little finger. He knew the line, with a final word or cheeky comment that he could get away with.
“I’m two years younger than Doddie but I came into the Scotland squad looking up to him – literally and figuratively. He got in the Scotland team at 19 and was already like a senior player when I arrived. He had the ear of the coaches and senior players like Gavin Hastings and David Sole loved him.
“He’s very tough. People don’t realise this because he liked to laugh – but he liked to fight as well. I remember going up against him in the Gala-Melrose derbies.
“In one game I’d just come back from a broken wrist and it was all strapped up. He noticed this, and there I was at the bottom of the ruck on my first game back and he’s standing on my hand. I reacted and tried to hit him – couldn’t get anywhere near. He’s laughing at me as I’m swinging punches.
“He always talked down his achievements. He played over 60 times for Scotland, was a Lion, championship winner with Melrose and Newcastle, scored two tries against the All Blacks in a World Cup quarter-final.
“He was a very good player, but we remember him for being the best team-mate you could have. And the life and soul of any room he walked into.
“The glint in his eye was still there a couple of weeks ago. We had a Borders reunion a couple of years ago and he was up to mischief that day. He usually had his lieutenant with him, Gary Armstrong. When we were in camp they’d be putting Vaseline on your phone, turning your bed upside down, clingfilm on the toilet seat.”
