Bath v Sale predictions: Sale to edge another road success

Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for Bath v Sale in the Gallagher Premiership on Friday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 1, 7.45pm Friday

Best bet

Sale to win by one to 12 points
1pt 2-1 Betfair

Match preview

With three rounds of the Premiership left to play, Sale are within touching distance of a playoff place and are warm favourites to take another step forward at Bath.

This is the Sharks' final away match of the regular season before home matches against top-four rivals Bristol and Harlequins, and this looks to be a match Sale supremo Alex Sanderson is focusing on.

There are just three changes to the side who overcame Leicester in a hard-fought contest last week - including the return of flanker Ben Curry to the bench after five months out.

Victory here - and favourable results elsewhere - would give Sale the option to rest players before the playoffs if they take the view that a home semi-final is beyond them, and after their physical performance against the Tigers last week we should expect more of the same.

Bath are a difficult side to weigh up, and their inconsistency shone throughout last week's 40-20 defeat to Bristol.

Having raced into a 15-0 lead, aided by a touch of good fortune, Bath were slowly pegged back but were only 28-20 down before hooker Tom Dunn was sent off with ten minutes to go, and that late man-advantage gave the scoreline a slightly flattering look.

Sale by contrast were 16-0 up against the Tigers last week but needed a second-half try from Marland Yarde to stem a strong fightback, and we may see a more measured performance on the road.

The 26-10 victory last week made it three wins from their last six by a double-figure scoreline, but all three of those have been at home and their six away wins have all be by a margin of one to ten.

Bath have lost three of their last four and may find Sale too focused and too physical but a runaway victory looks unlikely.

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