Sale Sharks vs Exeter RC Chiefs Prediction & Betting Tips - English Premiership Rugby

Prediction published on 30/03/2024, 09:00  by Steve Ashfield | Modified on 31/03/2024 at 02:00 in Rugby Predictions

Sale Sharks host Exeter Chiefs in their final English Premiership game before the European Rugby Champions Cup resumes. The home side are currently eighth in the table and that's the final qualifying place for next season's Champions Cup. They are in poor form at present though and go into this game attempting to avoid a fifth successive league defeat. Their most recent match saw them lose 42-24 at second placed Bath. Three of those four defeats have come on the road where Sale have been beaten in five of their seven league matches this season. The other recent loss was on home soil but inflicted by Bristol who are in good form at present. That defeat ended Sale's unbeaten home league record after five straight wins. That includes wins over Bath and Saracens who are second and third in the table.

Exeter Chiefs begin this set of fixtures in fourth place. That's the final qualifying position for the end-of-season play-offs. With this being the final fixture of the weekend, it's likely they may need to win this match to stay in fourth position. The Chiefs are nine points behind leaders Northampton Saints but would be closer if their away form was better. At home, Exeter have won six out of seven games. It's a different story on their travels with a couple of wins and four losses. Two of their last three away league matches have been lost and we go for Sale to get the win in this game.