When Leinster Schools' Senior Cup holders Blackrock run out onto Lansdowne Road tomorrow they will be aiming to win the trophy for the school for the 62nd time in this, the 99th year of the competition.

Their opponents, Newbridge have only won the cup twice and are making their first appearance in a final in 26 years. However the Kildare side can look back with pride on that 1970 final.

"The schools rugby world was turned upside down at Lansdowne Road yesterday when not only were Blackrock - perhaps the hottest favourites in the whole history of the competition - beaten - but by an incredible margin of 14 points," read the first paragraph of the match report in The Irish Times on April 18th, 1970.

The report went on to say that "the Blackrock machine was thrown completely out of gear by the most virile of tackling and spoiling, and like the Welsh on Saturday they were harried and hunted to destruction."

Perhaps if Ireland can deny England the triple crown at Twickenham today, as they did Wales in 1970 at Lansdowne Road, it will act as an inspiration to Newbridge. The similarities do not end there, because like England, Blackrock have a huge pack, and if Newbridge are to have any chance they will have to harry and hunt with a vengeance.

Former international out half Mick Quinn, outhalf and captain, was a key player in Newbridge's victory - "for his general ship, coolness of judgement and all round skill, Quinn was the outstanding back on the field," said the match report. Not surprisingly he has fond memories of the day.

"One thing I remember is the way everyone had us written off. Blackrock beat us 31-0 in Newbridge earlier, and right up to the game I thought we'd be beaten. We had our team talk at the end of Dun Laoghaire pier and we sat down and discussed what we needed to do and how we were going to go about it. I started to believe then that we'd do it."

And what did they do? "We really tore into them and put the ball behind their wingers. No one on our side had a bad game. Blackrock were a fabulous side but they didn't know how to go in reverse."

Newbridge, playing with a gale at their backs, went in leading by 11 points to five at half-time. Blackrock failed to take advantage of the wind, and were eventually beaten 19-5. Quinn believes many at Blackrock consider it the greatest upset they've ever suffered, and that they hardly recovered from it for 15 years.

The Blackrock captain, Paul Waldron, who played at full back, said he "had happier days". "It was just one of those days. An off day. Newbridge played well, they had a much underrated side."

Waldron decided to play against the wind that day because he felt the team could handle it. They couldn't, and Waldron remembers "chasing Mick Quinn's kicks from one corner to the other; he was putting it on a sixpence."

James Crowe, who was capped for Ireland against the All Blacks in 1974, played at centre for Blackrock that day. "To this day, it's the one game I can remember more about than any other. It went totally wrong for us on the day a nightmare - You wake up and say it didn't happen, but it did."

He says of tomorrow's game: "All the neutrals will be up for Newbridge. but I hope it's not a repeat of 1970. It's not so pleasant when you're on the team. We're remembered more for the team that lost than ones that won," he says with a laugh. Waldron concurs. "If we'd won, people wouldn't be remembering."

Tomorrow's Newbridge side shows one change from the side that beat Clongowes Wood in the semi-final. Front row David Kelly, who went off injured in the 67th minute of that match with a neck muscle strain, is replaced by George Price.

Newbridge coach Greg McInerney says the hall-mark of the side is that they play attractive 15-man rugby. With backs of the calibre of Geordan Murphy, James Ferris, Dermot O'Sullivan and Paul Noble, McInerney will be hoping for dry conditions.

McInerney is well aware of the danger posed by Blackrock forwards like Robert Casey and Lee Cullen. However he is certain his team believes in themselves but have yet to reach their full potential. "The potential is there, it's a matter of applying it on the day," he says.

John Kerins, who scored a try for Newbridge in 1970, believes this year's team have benefitted from the involvement of Kevin West, a New Zealander who coached Naas to the Provincial Towns Cup.

Four of the Kildare team's backs spent three and a half months in New Zealand and one of the group, Matthew Newman plays on the wing. Kerins, however, believes that Blackrock, with nine of last year's team, are hot favourites. "I'm nervous of the lineouts. If we get a fair share we'll give them a good run," he says.

Blackrock are taking Newbridge very seriously, according to coach Vincent Cunningham, who's also hoping for moderate weather conditions. "We'd prefer not to have a game of two halves. The better team wins over 70 minutes," he says.

Cunningham names an unchanged team from the side which beat Terenure in the semi-final. While some point out that the "dream team have, as of yet, failed to dazzle with their brilliance, Cunningham says "they have done what's been asked of them, namely, to get to the final".

When asked if Blackrock will be keeping it tight against Newbridge he says "we'll have to wait and see". While Newbridge look to Geordan Murphy, Blackrock will look to their captain and flanker Barry Gibney for inspiration.

Is there any complacency in the Blackrock ranks? "While some supporters may be complacent not contemplating anyone winning except Blackrock - the players won't be," says Cunningham.

And what of the others who did battle in 1970? Mick Quinn feels the Blackrock side of 1970 was better than the one now. "They could run the ball from anywhere. This one keeps it tight and batters their way down the middle.

Quinn feels it will be a hard, physical game, and while Newbridge will start as underdogs, if they get ball they will give Blackrock problems behind the scrum. For him Murphy is the best footballer in the competition.

Quinn's half back partner that day, Stephen Tormey, feels that if Blackrock can be unsettled, Newbridge should do well. "Blackrock try to keep their shape the whole time. If it's broken, and that doesn't happen that often, but if it does, it's difficult for them to put it back together again."

Paul Waldron feels that while Newbridge might draw on the 1970 experience "maybe our fellas will too". James Crowe believes that it's now easier for big forwards to control a game, and that the Newbridge forwards might struggle. However he has been impressed by Newbridge and, like some of the others, feels that if they get some points on the board they'll give Blackrock a game.

While Newbridge will look to 1970, Blackrock have actually beaten the Kildare school in two finals, in 1939 and 1945. They won the latter by 28 points to three, one of the biggest defeats a school has suffered in the final.

The Irish Times' report following that game, in attempting to explain Newbridge's poor performance following previous good form, said: "The only excuse for the metamorphosis was that they were overtrained and were suffering from the stagefright and lack of confidence which usually obsesses Blackrock's opponents in the final."