Adam Williams presents his prediction for the English Premiership match.
With three rounds remaining in the regular season, both Leicester Tigers and Sail Sharks are heading into a critical stage—this direct clash could prove pivotal in determining who secures a place in the top four play-offs. Currently, Leicester Tigers sit second in the standings, while Sale Sharks are in third.
Leicester Tigers
Owing to the schedule, both sides recently faced Harlequins over the past two rounds, providing a useful comparison point. Harlequins, who were among the top four earlier in the campaign, have slipped down the standings following recent setbacks. In Round 15, Leicester Tigers hosted the encounter and cruised to a 40:7 win. That result, however, was significantly shaped by discipline issues for the visitors: one player was sin-binned for ten minutes, followed by another being shown a red card early in the second half. Cameron Anderson, who received two yellow cards, may have come off worst himself, potentially losing consciousness after the second incident.
Sale Sharks
By contrast, Sale Sharks had to travel to face Harlequins—a much more demanding task—and were trailing 15:12 after 30 minutes. Unlike in Leicester’s match, there were no dismissals for the hosts. Yet from that point on, the Sharks' dominance in both physicality and execution became evident. Asher Opoku-Fordjour was instrumental in attack. The 20-year-old prop dotted down for a crucial try around the half-hour mark to edge the Sharks ahead, and later burst through the gain line to breach the 22, laying the foundation for another score. A commanding 43:29 victory away from home, without any mitigating circumstances, underlines the squad’s form. In the round before that, Sale Sharks dismantled fellow play-off contenders Saracens 25:7 on home soil.
Leicester Tigers vs Sale Sharks Prediction
Sale Sharks are expected to stay within reach throughout the contest and—even if they don’t come away with the win—should at least secure a losing bonus point. When these two last met in Leicester, the visitors claimed a 24:17 win.
