It was 29 March 1975.

Lansdowne Road opened its gates to a new world. The Ireland Schools came up three points short, losing 6-3 to the old enemy England in a match that would cast a far wider significance for the future of Irish rugby than the outcome on the day.

"There had been talk about putting an Irish Schools team out on the field for some time.

There were those within the IRFU that thought it mightn't be a good thing to give international caps to schoolboys because of their age and the effect it might have on them, " recalls Irish rugby historian Edmund van Esbeck.

"It was a wonderful occasion. Mind you, it wasn't the greatest game in the world.

England won it 6-3. But eight players from that side went on to be capped at senior level. Centres Johnny Murphy and Alistair McKibbin, out-half Moss Finn, the entire front row of Job Langbroek, Harry Harbison and Jimmy McCoy, captain Donal Spring and replacement Ronan Kearney, who came on that day, all played for Ireland."

The 1975 Ulster Senior Schools Cup winners, Methodist, did not provide a single player to the first Ireland Schools team, even though RBAI's McKibbin, Portora Royal's Jim McCoy, Wallace High School's Willie Howard and Royal Dungannon's Hugh Donnelly ensured a strong northern influence.

In fact, McKibbin and McCoy also went on to play for Ireland Schools the following year.

It was no surprise that Blackrock College annexed their 53rd Leinster Senior Cup that season and found extra reward in the caps awarded to loose-head Langbroek, hooker Harbison and flanker Gerry Molloy. Pres Cork were equally prominent, supplying wing Bowen, out-half Finn and second-row Brian Clifford.

The influence of the Ireland Schools has diluted somewhat since that first day.

For instance, 20 years later, the 1995 batch of Ireland Schoolboys included only three future internationals.

St Munchin's Marcus Horan and Blackrock's Leo Cullen are performing to their potential for Munster and Leicester Tigers respectively. Methodist's Phil Murphy, meanwhile, progressed from Catalan club Perpignan to London Irish and is also a Canadian international.

So much of Irish rugby is built, rightly or wrongly, on the rock solid foundations of the schools game. While there can only be one school to taste glory in each of the provincial finals on or around St Patrick's Day, the standout players from around the island still compete for international recognition.

It would not be unrealistic to suggest that Cistercian College Roscrea number eight Donal Spring sealed his captaincy of that first ever Ireland Schools side with one critical, high-risk decision in the Leinster-Ulster interprovincial match earlier that season.

Pres Bray's Johnny Murphy was strangely off form with his kicking, missing nearly a half-dozen efforts.

The sides were locked together at 3-3 when Leinster were awarded a penalty on halfway. True to his Kerry roots, Spring took the ball and belted it between the posts for the match-winning cameo.

"It was a very momentous occasion in my life to represent Ireland, let alone be captain, at that age. The fact that it was the first schools international meant that we were subject to more attention than other teams that followed, " said Spring.

That day holds cherished memories for Spring, his vice-captain Finn and the rest of the troops. Still, on mature reflection, he believes the Irish Schools system does not foster the best possible environment to produce players for the full Ireland squad.

"Schools rugby is important to Irish rugby. Having said that, there is too much emphasis on winning cups.

There should be more time spent on the development of skills. I first realised that during my time in France."

Since the quality of the players in that first schools squad has yet to be equalled, today's boys will have to go some way to prove Spring wrong.

29 MARCH, 1975 IRELAND SCHOOLS 3 ENGLAND SCHOOLS 6 Lansdowne Road IRELAND SCHOOLS M Quaid (Rockwell);

J Bowen (PBC Cork), J Molloy (Castleknock), J Murphy (PBC Bray), A McKibbin (RBAI);

M Finn (PBC Cork), J Sexton (Castleknock);

J Langbroek (Blackrock), H Harbison (Blackrock), J McCoy (Portora Royal), W Howard (Wallace HS), B Clifford (PBC Cork), G Molloy (Blackrock), D Spring (Cistercian Roscrea, capt), H Donnelly (Dungannon RS)