Sale vs Bristol Prediction: Sharks to get back to winning ways

Matchweek 11 kicks off on Friday night with Alex Sanderson’s Sale Sharks hosting a Bristol Bears side who have lost three of their last five.

The Sharks have made the Salford Community Stadium an impenetrable fortress this season, winning each of their five home games in the league.

Bristol, meanwhile, are languishing in eighth, 11 points adrift of the semi-final places, and suffered their sixth league defeat of the season against Exeter last time out.

The Bears have not won at Sale in the league since 2017, and this run is likely to be extended on Friday.

Team News

Alex Sanderson has named just one change for The Sharks, but it is a major loss in the back line with fly-half George Ford missing through injury.

Rob du Preez moves from centre to fill in for Ford, with Tongan centre Rekeiti Ma’asi-White coming into the starting line-up.

For Bristol, Steven Luatua continues to captain the Bears with Fitz Harding injured, and there also two forward changes with Jake Woolmore and Josh Caulfield coming in for Max Lahiff and the injured James Dun.

AJ MacGinty will make his return from injury in place of Callum Sheedy, who will now spend some time in the treatment room, whilst James Williams and Gabriel Ibitoye also join the starting line-up in place of Virimi Vakatawa and Rich Lane.

Match Odds

Sale are the favourites to win this fixture at 1/4, whilst Bristol have odds of 16/5 to claim their fifth win of the season.

The first tie of the year can be backed at 22/1, whereas an -11.5 handicap for the Sharks is at 11/10.

Sale Sharks Handicap -8.5 @ 5/6

The Sharks finished runners-up in the league last season, losing out to Saracens by five points, and have not lifted the trophy since 2006, which remains their only league title to date.

Sanderson will hope his side can go one better this year and look in good shape to challenge once more, with their seven victories leaving Sale in third place and just two points away from top spot.

However, recent form may be of concern to Sanderson given that his side have lost two of their last three, which includes a four-point defeat to leaders Northampton and a 36-3 hammering at the hands of Harlequins at the beginning of December.

The Bears, meanwhile, have had a torrid campaign, with their only two victories in their last eight league games coming against Gloucester and Newcastle Falcons; the only two sides below them in the league.

Bristol’s record against Friday’s opponents does not make for better reading as the Bears have lost each of their last five league visits to The Salford Community Stadium, with four of these defeats coming by a margin of at least 10 points.

Pat Lam’s side were also defeated 13-27 in the reverse fixture at Ashton Gate in what remains their heaviest defeat of the season, and this seemingly taboo fixture for the Bears looks likely to heap further misery on them.

Check out the rest of our Rugby Union Betting Tips here.