Adam Williams presents his prediction for the English Premiership rugby match.
After a resounding victory over Leicester Tigers (54:24) last Friday, Bristol Bears set a remarkable record by winning 10 consecutive away matches in the Premiership. However, this time they play at home.
Bristol Bears
Their winning streak on the road has lasted over 13 months and includes a triumph over Sale Sharks last January (22:14). But how do they fare at home? The situation is quite the opposite. While not a series of continuous defeats, some mini losing streaks have occurred. From the 2023/24 season, a sequence of three losses carried over, against Saracens (20:41), Gloucester (41:44), and again Saracens (35:37). The last disappointment came after a three-match winning streak was snapped by Leinster in the Champions Cup (12:35).
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks have two victories in their recent matches. However, as soon as they travel away from their stadium, they tend to lose. The only exception being a match against a Championship club, whose level doesn’t even match Sale Sharks' reserves (43:37). In the other five instances, it's been all losses. So, it seems both teams have their struggles—who to back then? There's an interesting trend in their head-to-heads at Ashton Gate: Sale Sharks emerged victorious in the last two English Championship seasons (36:20 and 27:13).
Bristol Bears vs Sale Sharks Prediction
We'll go with a positive handicap for the visitors. This means a win for Bristol Bears is possible (but not overwhelmingly so), with a safety net in case of another defeat for the hosts.
