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    <title>All Blogs</title>
    <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Rss-Directory/Blogs/Blogs/</link>
    <description>Keep abreast of the latest cutting-edge opinions, views and analysis from our team of world-class bloggers.</description>
    <language>en-US</language>
    <item>
      <title>The League Table Does Lie</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Felix-Healy/2012/May/The-League-Table-Does-Lie/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Felix-Healy/2012/May/The-League-Table-Does-Lie/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[Dundalk were crowned League Of Ireland champions back in 1995 yet in most people’s opinion they weren’t even the second best team in the country. An extremely unlikely chain of events in the closing months saw Dermot Keely’s lilywhites secure the title at Oriel Park when finally overcoming a stubborn Galway Utd side by two goals to nil.
 
One of the oldest clichés in the game is ‘the table...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 24 May 2012 09:54:33 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>Joe Schmidt &amp; Declan Kidney: Different coaches heading in different directions? </title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/May/Joe-Schmidt--Declan-Kidney-Different-Coaches-heading-in-different-directions-/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/May/Joe-Schmidt--Declan-Kidney-Different-Coaches-heading-in-different-directions-/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[What have Declan Kidney and Joe Schmidt got in common? They have both won two Heineken Cups within a couple of years of each other with an Irish province. However, the current perceptions of the two coaches amongst the Irish rugby public could not be more different. 
Schmidt has just guided Leinster to consecutive Heineken Cups and you get the distinct feeling that his side will dispose of the...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 23 May 2012 09:01:08 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>One Actor On The Biggest Stage</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/May/One-Actor-On-The-Biggest-Stage/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/May/One-Actor-On-The-Biggest-Stage/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[The season of bizarre scripts threw up another one to close out the season; no, not Sam Allardyce replacing Venky’s in the Premier League, but what seemed like the closing act of Didier Drogba’s Chelsea career, as the Blues became the first London club to win the European Cup. While it would be hard for anyone in today’s game to paint Roman Abramovich’s 7 year cash assault on the Champions League...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 21 May 2012 09:58:37 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>Heineken Cup Final – Where will it be won and lost? </title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/May/Heineken-Cup-Final--Where-will-it-be-won-and-lost-/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/May/Heineken-Cup-Final--Where-will-it-be-won-and-lost-/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[It has been another extraordinary season in the Heineken Cup, with incredible drama and excitement from the opening round of fixtures right up to the semi finals three weeks ago. This is the competition that just keeps on giving. 
The final beckons on Saturday, which will see an Irish invasion to London as champions Leinster look to make it two in a row as they face a familiar foe in Ulster. ...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 16 May 2012 10:58:33 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>The Best League In The World</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/May/The-Best-League-In-The-World/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/May/The-Best-League-In-The-World/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[Last weekend I wrote on this page that some kind of normality had been restored to the title race proceedings with Manchester City’s routine and professional display at Newcastle, and Manchester United’s low-scoring victory at home to Swansea when they needed to hit a cricket score. 
If heartbeats had returned to normal after an incredible season, then A&E’s in the Manchester area must have had...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 May 2012 08:28:18 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>Setanta Sports Cup Final - Who Will Prevail?</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Felix-Healy/2012/May/Setanta-Sports-Cup-Final---Who-Will-Prevail/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Felix-Healy/2012/May/Setanta-Sports-Cup-Final---Who-Will-Prevail/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[Preparation for the two teams involved in this year’s Setanta Sports Cup final on Saturday has been less than brilliant. 
 
The showpiece of the Irish League season saw Crusaders F. C. suffer a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Linfield in the Irish Cup final played at Windsor Park last Saturday, whilst, their opponents Derry City appeared lacklustre and dispirited when losing 2-0 to St Patrick’s...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 09:29:48 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>Influx of Kiwis to the provinces but where are the Irish coaches?</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/May/Influx-of-Kiwis-to-the-provinces-but-where-are-the-Irish-coaches/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/May/Influx-of-Kiwis-to-the-provinces-but-where-are-the-Irish-coaches/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[Rob Penney is the latest Kiwi to land the head coach job at an Irish province, meaning that three out of the four Irish provinces are now presided over by New Zealanders. What does this say about the standard of coaches in Ireland, if anything? 
Let us examine each province individually as circumstances differ greatly depending on your location. 
Joe Schmidt has been an unequivocal success at...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 09 May 2012 10:49:47 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/May/The-League-Of-Extraordinary-Gentlemen/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/May/The-League-Of-Extraordinary-Gentlemen/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[... and the weekend of ordinary results. After a season where the unexpected has happened almost every round of results, Manchester United were left hoping for similar craziness. In the end, it turned out that Yaya Toure once again made his sizeable impression in the title race and the power struggle in the North West.
It was Toure - unthinkably surplus to requirements at Barcelona - who was...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2012 08:49:15 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>The Mindless Abuse Needs to Stop</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Felix-Healy/2012/May/The-Mindless-Abuse-Needs-to-Stop/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Felix-Healy/2012/May/The-Mindless-Abuse-Needs-to-Stop/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[Derry City striker Rory Patterson became involved in an extremely heated exchange of views with several Candystripes’ fans following their defeat by Drogheda United in a recent Airtricity League game at Hunky Dory’s Park. 
 
Subsequently, the story dominated the back page of one of the local papers.
Of course, these incidents are a fairly common occurrence at most sporting venues never mind a...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 03 May 2012 08:24:19 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>Ladyboys to World Beaters – The Rise of Leinster </title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/May/Ladyboys-to-World-beaters--The-rise-of-Leinster-/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/May/Ladyboys-to-World-beaters--The-rise-of-Leinster-/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[It was simply ferocious. From O’Driscoll’s early hit on Rougerie to the brutally combative last five minutes, Leinster v Clermont last Sunday was warfare. 
This was a Clermont team with incredible physicality and quality throughout. They dominated the set-piece with a ferocious authority in the opening forty minutes and went in leading by six points at the break; a relatively hefty margin given...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 02 May 2012 12:06:11 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>Roy Hodgson – Perfect man for the job, or perfect fall guy?</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/April/Roy-Hodgson--Perfect-man-for-the-job-or-perfect-fall-guy/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/April/Roy-Hodgson--Perfect-man-for-the-job-or-perfect-fall-guy/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[Is Agent Woy really England’s number 1?
Within minutes of the confirmation from the FA and West Bromwich Albion that Roy Hodgson was to be interviewed for the vacant England manager position, switchboards and news shows asked the stand out question – what happened to Harry Redknapp?
Redknapp seemed nailed on before Tottenham Hotspur’s downturn in form – a seemingly endless flirtation between...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:10:54 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>Setanta suprises but Rovers still team to beat? </title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Felix-Healy/2012/April/Setanta-suprises-but-Rovers-still-team-to-beat-/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Felix-Healy/2012/April/Setanta-suprises-but-Rovers-still-team-to-beat-/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[No disrespect to Derry City or Crusaders but no-one could have forecast that those two sides would clash in this year’s Setanta Sports Cup final to be staged at Windsor Park next month. 
 
Stephen Baxter’s side in particular have remained under the radar of most pundits- myself included- until their 2-0 victory against Sligo Rovers at Seaview, a result which surprised quite a few.
 
Recently,...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:28:56 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>Clermont v Leinster – Battle of the heavyweights but who will prevail?</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/April/Clermont-v-Leinster--Battle-of-the-Heavyweights-but-who-will-prevail/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/April/Clermont-v-Leinster--Battle-of-the-Heavyweights-but-who-will-prevail/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[The business end of the season has well and truly arrived with every game now carrying a much greater weight of significance. The Rabo Direct, Aviva Premiership and indeed the Top 14 all look to be finishing with a flourish but in truth, they pale in comparison to the Heineken Cup.
This tournament has matured into certainly the greatest club competition in the world and if we are honest, it...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 25 Apr 2012 10:08:55 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>The Biggest Manchester Derby Ever? </title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/April/The-Biggest-Manchester-Derby-Ever-/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/April/The-Biggest-Manchester-Derby-Ever-/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[For the last 4 years, there has been an increasingly deafening drumroll that grows louder around each Manchester Derby. “The biggest ever” it is dubbed every time; with United’s surprise ascent past the moneybags of Chelsea, and City’s takeover, it seems that the tag will remain until such time that City overtake their rivals and claim their first league title.
The schedulers could not have...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:06:30 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>Youth Systems and Referees</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Felix-Healy/2012/April/Youth-Systems-and-Referees/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Felix-Healy/2012/April/Youth-Systems-and-Referees/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[Introducing the various under 19 competitions has unquestionably proved to be enormously successful for League of Ireland clubs and the proposals to begin the same structures next year, for under 17’s, are also to be welcomed.
 
However, following the decision to dismantle the A League, which was effectively the reserve set-up at most clubs, a vacuum exists which I believe needs to be addressed...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:38:06 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>Ireland should take lessons from Schmidt</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/April/Ireland-should-take-lessons-from-Schmidt/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/April/Ireland-should-take-lessons-from-Schmidt/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[Watching the Leinster ‘second team’ dispatch Edinburgh in such emphatic fashion last Friday night was a very positive sight for Irish rugby. 
This was not a once off either. No matter what team Joe Schmidt puts out these days, his side are bulldozing all in front of them in an impressive fashion.
Schmidt has developed a rotation system at Leinster which is working to optimum effect, as a...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:20:07 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>Does honesty have a place in football?</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/April/Does-honesty-have-a-place-in-football/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/April/Does-honesty-have-a-place-in-football/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[Another weekend at the business end of the season and another series of controversial refereeing decisions. Decisions that could alter the destiny of trophies; careers, even. While the focus remains on technology or up-skilling officials, it seems remiss to forget the instigators of it all – the players.  
At Wembley, Emmanuel Adebayor went through on goal; Petr Cech brought him down. Before...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:47:16 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>McClean a Sign of Things to Come? </title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Felix-Healy/2012/April/McClean-a-Sign-of-Things-to-Come-/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Felix-Healy/2012/April/McClean-a-Sign-of-Things-to-Come-/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[During the early 1960’s a team named Carfin Emeralds played in a Summer Cup competition in County Donegal. Apparently, it was highly amusing for the assembled spectators- of which there were several hundred, not uncommon in those days- who watched eleven false-bearded men take to the pitch. 
 
The reason for the hilarity being that the players were known to the crowd due to the fact that all of...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2012 11:10:17 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>Leinster, Munster &amp; Ulster: Three Irish provinces at different junctures </title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/April/Leinster-Munster--Ulster-Three-Irish-provinces-at-different-junctures-/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Tom_Fox/2012/April/Leinster-Munster--Ulster-Three-Irish-provinces-at-different-junctures-/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[It was an absorbing weekend of Heineken Cup rugby, with each encounter providing something different, yet equally exhilarating. 
From an Irish perspective it was a mixed bag, as it was always going to be with two provinces facing each other, but the weekend did highlight that these three Irish teams are all at very different stages in terms of their transition and growth. 
LEINSTER
The...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:25:46 Z</pubDate>
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      <title>High Flying Magpies emerging as story of the season</title>
      <link>http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/April/High-Flying-Magpies-emerging-as-story-of-the-season/</link>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.setanta.com/us/Blogs/Wayne-Barton/2012/April/High-Flying-Magpies-emerging-as-story-of-the-season/</guid>
      <description><![CDATA[The Premier League title race took what looks like a decisive turn yesterday, while at the bottom of the table things are beginning to take shape with it looking like any three from 5 fighting out the drop. 
It has been a fantastic season for the top flight - I wrote on these very pages a few weeks ago about the sensational jobs done by Brendan Rodgers and Paul Lambert at Cities Swansea and...]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:05:59 Z</pubDate>
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