Sale Sharks vs Harlequins
Sale narrowly lost their last match and would have won had they converted their last try. Harlequins were 21-3 down in their last match against Bristol but came storming back to eventually win the match 54-24. The match turned on its head after the introduction of Marcus Smith. The newly capped England and Lions flyhalf was breathtaking and is surely the best 10 in the country. Sale has had a few injury concerns and will be glad Manu Tuilagi is fit for this match. The Quins team looks unstoppable in attack although they do leak a lot of points as well. For the Sharks to have any chance against the defending champions they will need to be at their best defensively. The Sharks must use their big forward pack to try and control the game although Quins also have a strong pack led by the brilliant Alex Dombrandt. He has continued with the form that he showed last season and must be a certainty for England.
TIP: The Sharks have England duo Tom Curry and Tuilagi back for this match and they will be a welcome return. They have sizable pack and now have Curry to win turnover ball for them at the breakdowns .Quins have a simple game plan which is to run at the opposition from every angle. We saw against Bristol in their last match that the Bristol players were exhausted trying to keep up with Quins high tempo rugby. Sale has probably the heaviest pack in the league and they will need to be smart on how they control the game otherwise Quins will run them off their feet. Quins have the advantage in the scrum thanks to Joe Marler who again showed that he is the best prop in the country. The bookies have Quins as slight favourites and I’m also tipping them for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.62, Playabets 1.44 and Sunbet 1.58
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Sale Sharks vs Harlequins
- In the last five matches between the sides Sale Sharks have three wins to Harlequins two.
- The last seven matches between the sides have been won by the home team.
- Harlequins last won away to the Sharks in 2015.
Latest results for both teams
Sale lost their last match 33-32 to Gloucester while Harlequins won 54-24 against the Bristol Bears.
PREDICTION
Sale will be badly hampered not having their two first choice flyhalf’s and their first choice scrumhalf and this showed as they lacked fluency in attack. The mere presence of Tuilagi in the centers will give them that go forward ball they require. His battle with opposite number Andre Esterhuizen will be one of the highlights in the match. They are both huge physical players so there will bone crunching clashes between them. The major difference in the team for me is that Quins have the best halfback pairing in the league while Sale have a very inexperienced pair in the 9 and 10 jerseys. Marcus Smith will attack their channel all day and when he creates a line break there is almost certainly a try on the scorecard. The attack of Quins is brilliant therefore I predict a Quins win by more than 6 points
- Probable Starting XVs
Sale Sharks
15 Simon Hammersley, 14 Denny Solomona, 13 Sam James, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Byron McGuigan, 10 Kieran Wilkinson, 9 Raffi Quirke, 8 Daniel du Preez, 7 Tom Curry, 6 Jono Ross (c), 5 Jean-Luc du Preez, 4 Cobus Wiese, 3 Nick Schonert, 2 Curtis Langdon, 1 Bevan Rodd
Harlequins
15 Tyrone Green, 14 Joe Marchant, 13 Luke Northmore, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Danny Care, 8 Alex Dombrandt (c), 7 Jack Kenningham, 6 James Chisholm, 5 Dino Lamb, 4 Matt Symons, 3 Simon Kerrod, 2 Jack Walker, 1 Joe Marler
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Harlequins victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.62
Playabets 1.44
Sunbet 1.58
Odds comparison on the Harlequins handicap victory :
The complete odds on theHarlequins handicap victory:
Worldsportsbetting (-3.5.5) 1.90
Sunbet (-2.5) 1.81
Playabets (-2.5) 1.80
Predictions and Odds in details
We know that the Sharks love to dominate opposition teams into submission with their gigantic forward pack but that will be impossible against a Quins pack that contains Joe Marler and Alex Dombrandt. Both these players are the backbone of the Quins and its their hard work that allows Danny Care and Smith to weave their magic. Sale will need to be very accurate with their kicking as the Quins team is the best in the league at counter attacking. Led by fullback Tyrone Green they have players that will punish any wayward kicking. Green has developed into one of the best counter attacking full backs in England and loves to run from any part of the field. There are decent returns for punters backing Harlequins on the outright victory but I suggest a value bet on the Quins handicap victory. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (-3.5.5) 1.90, Sunbet (-2.5) 1.81 and Playabets (-2.5) 1.80
Sports crazy fan that follows all major sport but the game with the oval ball is my real passion. Was an age level rugby coach and a huge supporter of the Springboks and diehard Liverpool man. I’m an experienced punter and sports writer whose predictions/tips are sure to stir up the emotions. I love the occasional wager on the underdog.
