A TOAST to absent friends over lunch yesterday was more poignant than usual. It is difficult to see South Africa in town without thinking about one of their finest, Joost van der Westhuizen, now sadly no longer with us having succumbed to motor neurone disease more than 18 months ago.

However, we didn’t dwell on his passing for too long. Many of us who arrived early in the capital yesterday did so to support one of our own, Doddie Weir, himself battling the ravages of MND.

Last term, during the Six Nations, Doddie’s Gumpers marched on Rome. Yesterday, they merely congregated at Edinburgh’s Mercat Cross, a sizeable collection, although maybe not the 10,000 organiser Rob Wainwright, the brains behind the Doddie Gump, had advertised, but hey, who the hell was counting.

Weir, Wainwright, Ian Smith (three members of the Row 19 club - if you want to know more, buy the book), Gary Armstrong (any excuse), Roger Baird and Iwan Tukalo hit the bars in Edinburgh on Friday night, purely for research purposes and to sell Doddie headbands. That was another nine grand banked for research. If Wayne Rooney and The FA want tips on fundraising, just ask.

Wainwright, a former Scotland captain, looked as nervous as he had done before any international an hour before the invited mass were due. This was probably because there was no sign of any kind of mass.

But then, with the best will in the world, why would anyone leave a pint of Guinness in a cosy pub to await the arrival of Doddie.

Wainwright need not have worried. By the time the big fella in the tartan suit made his walk-on, the Mercat was full enough to mean a passing bride was more late for her big day than even she had planned or envisaged.

Bailie Norman Work welcomed one an' all, before Doddie took the microphone, which had to be lifted a good few feet from where the good Bailie had comfortably broadcast.

Needless to say, it was a tearful moment, Weir struggling to stem his emotion, many gathered having similar difficulties. But Weir’s battle has been all about tears and laughter, and even when explaining how MND had left him unable to use his arms properly, he still raised a laugh by telling everyone how his condition meant he couldn’t use his hands to have a drink - but that he was adapting quite well.”

And then he was off, headed to Murrayfield in a noisy V8-powered, modified Land Rover. It was hard to tell if he was excited or just startled.

There were plenty of Doddie Gump headbands in the Murrayfield crowd, and quite a few South African supporters as well. They reckon this is a team worth the watching, maybe even potential World Cup winners come 12 months time.

Five minutes in, through slick, speedy interplay, the Springboks were up a score to the good through Jesse Kriel. It looked mightily impressive, although I wasn’t quite ready to log in and stick the house on them.

The magic of Huw Jones wowed the packed arena as the Scots drew level, only for the stands to fall silent again as Handre Pollard eased over for a try. Ball in hand, South Africa looked good. My hands though, stayed in my pockets, on my hard-earned pennies, plus they were a tad cold. However, spirits were soon warmed throughout.

As you might see from my fashion, I’m not averse to anything old, and, neither it appears are the Scots.

Remember that lineout ploy against Ireland last year when Alex Dunbar scored. Yesterday, the Scots gave the South Africans an action replay, Hamish Watson the recipient and scorer. See, recycling does work.

The Boks led by half-time, despite some ill-mannered booing to quote another Hawick man, thanks to a Pollard penalty, before Doddie got his own walk-on cameo appearance, in matching suit and headband. What else.

MC Jo Wilson got a kiss, before Weir moved seamlessly in to an interview with the BBC’s Sonya McLauchlan. She got a kiss as well. I suppose he was just being charitable.

Meanwhile, online, someone paid a grand for an autographed edition of ‘My Name’5 Doddie.’ What a gift he has of charming the ladies and charming people into spending money.

What most had spent big on yesterday were tickets to see a Scotland win.

Sadly, it wasn’t to be. Had Pollard not hit the post, then topped one, South Africa could have been out of sight.

As it was, it took Boks substitute Elton Jantjies to land a long-range penalty, almost old fashioned in his style, to deliver old-fashioned disappointment to the home team and their fans.