Sale Sharks vs Leicester Tigers Prediction & Betting Tips - English Premiership Rugby

Prediction published on 08/05/2024, 14:45  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 10/05/2024 at 06:45 in Rugby Predictions

The penultimate week in the Gallagher Premiership will get underway with the Sale Sharks taking on Leicester Tigers at the Salford Community Stadium on Friday. The hosts are in sixth place in the league standings, while the visitors are eighth. Sale Sharks are aiming for their fourth consecutive league victory in order to maintain their chances of returning to Twickenham. With just six points separating the teams placed between second and seventh, the competition for playoff qualification remains wide open. In round 16, Sale secured a 35-14 win over the still-winless Falcons at Kingston Park. First-half tries from Ben Curry and Joe Carpenter put the visiting Sharks in command. Although Newcastle managed to narrow the deficit to seven points, Luke Cowan-Dickie quickly scored another try to extend Sale's lead before they successfully closed out the game. Sale earned bonus-point wins in their last two Premiership matches, bringing them within two points of fourth-placed Bristol Bears. Sale have won four of their last five encounters against Leicester in Premiership Rugby. Their sole loss to the Tigers in the tournament since September 2018 was a 19-11 defeat at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in October 2021.

Meanwhile, Leicester Tigers found themselves in a commanding 19-0 lead with just 12 minutes remaining against Bristol Bears last month, only to suffer a heartbreaking 21-19 defeat, effectively shattering their hopes of securing a top-four finish with just two games remaining. That loss has left the 11-time Premiership champions languishing third from bottom in the table. With the Tigers now grappling near the foot of the standings, a stark contrast from their championship glory just two years prior, the focus at Sale Sharks shifts towards maintaining their dignity. Ahead of Friday's clash, the Tigers have announced their lineup, with Hanro Liebenberg assuming the captaincy from the blindside flanker position due to skipper Julian Montoya's injury absence. Mike Brown received a two-week suspension for misconduct after directing profanity towards match officials following his red card in their home loss to Bristol Bears. While the Tigers have secured victory at Salford earlier this season, triumphing 18-14 over their hosts in the Premiership Rugby Cup in September, their last Premiership Rugby victory at the venue dates back to May 2018. In Premiership Rugby away matches this season, the Tigers have won four and lost four.