There are times - rare as these might be - for old, hard-bitten jock journos to be sentimental. The retirement of Jean de Villiers is such a time. The decision by the Springbok captain in the midst of a Rugby World Cup and forced on him by yet another injury was a moment of great melancholy. It could not have been easy - as obvious as it must have been - for the 34-year-old to call it a day on a Bok career that spanned 109 Tests from November 2002 in Marseilles to last Saturday at Villa Park in Birmingham when a collision with Samoa fullback Tim Nanai-Williams broke his jaw for the second time this year.De Villiers was revered, and not just for his rugby skills."I have only the greatest admiration for Jean," another old Springbok centre said yesterday. John Gainsford, who held a record for Springbok Test caps at 33 when he retired in 1967, has watched De Villiers grow from a bright little kid into a bright Springbok star. Both live in Paarl, where Gainsford and Andre de Villiers, a lock forward for Western Province in the '70s and father of Jean, are good friends.If Gainsford ever picked his all-time best Springbok XV there would be only one choice for inside centre. "He's in my team any day," said Gainsford, who played outside centre in those 33 Tests from 1960 until 1967 with only one break in the sequence because of an injury. If you think that's a gratuitous selection based on sentiment, bear in mind that Gainsford's centre partners in many of those matches were among the finest: Ian Kirkpatrick, Mannetjies Roux and Dave Stewart.There are three reasons for Gainsford's selection: De Villiers was a team man, always ready to play out of position; his courage, which helped him overcome most of those injuries; and the ability to be a great Springbok off the field as well."He mixed easily, he spoke easily. A delightful man," said Gainsford. In other words: a Bok of class...