Sale vs Gloucester Prediction: Sharks to take a bite out of Cherry & Whites
Sale Sharks will look to hit the ground running in the Gallagher Premiership when they play host to Gloucester on Thursday night (19:45, Sky Sports Mix) at CorpAcq Stadium.
Alex Jack provides his best bets in his Sale vs Gloucester prediction piece, as well as all the essential team news and match odds for the showdown in Salford.
Team news
Starting with the Sharks, the hosts go with a front row of Bevan Rodd, Nathan Jibulu and Asher Opoku-Fordjour, with skipper Ernst van Rhyn and Ben Bamber in the second row.
Jacques Vermeulen, Ben Curry and Sam Dugdale complete the pack, with Gus Warr and George Ford in the half-backs.
Rekeiti Ma’asi-White and Rob de Preez start in the centres, with the Sharks going for a back three of Tom O’Flaherty, Tom Roebuck and Joe Carpenter.
As for the visitors, Gloucester go with Harrison Bellamy, Jack Innard and Afolabi Fasogbon in the front row, with Arthur Clark and Matias Alemanno in the engine room.
A back row of Freddie Thomas, James Venter and Jack Clement completes the pack.
Tomos Williams and new signing Ross Byrne start in the half-backs, with Seb Atkinson and Max Llewellyn in the centres.
Ollie Thornley, Ben Loader and Charlie Atkinson all earn starting roles in the back three.
Sale Sharks are the 1/4 favourites to make a winning start to their Gallagher Prem campaign, while Gloucester are 3/1 to head back to the West Country with the victory.
A draw at CorpAcq Stadium is currently available at 20/1.
Sale Sharks -9 handicap @ 4/5
Just missing out on a Grand Final appearance after a 21-16 play-off semi-final defeat at the hands of Leicester Tigers last term, Sale are ready to go again and push for a first league title since the 2005/06 season.
Director of rugby Alex Sanderson and his side kick-start the Gallagher Prem season at CorpAcq Stadium, which has not been a happy hunting ground for Thursday night’s visitors, Gloucester.
The Cherry & Whites have lost on all of their last five visits to Salford and the Sharks are backed to make a winning start to their league campaign against the West Country outfit.
Gloucester are certainly not the only visiting team to struggle away at Sale, with the Sharks winning 16 of their last 18 home games in all competitions.
With England fly-half Ford pulling the strings in the No,.10 jersey and with dangerous runners such as Roebuck and Carpenter outside him in the back three, hosts Sale are good value to win and overcome the -9 handicap on offer in Thursday’s Prem opener in Greater Manchester.
Odds correct at time of publishing.
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