Matchday Live

Sale Sharks have won their last five Gallagher Premiership Rugby matches since their 12-18 reversal at home to Saracens on 1 April. The Sharks have won their last four home games in all competitions since losing 9-10 to Bristol at Salford City Stadium in last season’s European Champions Cup.

Exeter Chiefs have won their last four Gallagher Premiership Rugby encounters since their 33-40 loss to Bristol at Ashton Gate in May. The Chiefs won their only other away game in Premiership Rugby this season, beating Worcester in Round 2, and have not won successive matches on their travels since February.

Exeter have won their last four fixtures against Sale since the Sharks 25-20 win at Salford City Stadium in February 2021. The Chiefs have won on six of their last seven visits to Salford in all tournaments

Referee: Wayne Barnes (262nd Premiership game).

Assistant Referees: Anthony Woodthorpe and Wayne Falla.

TMO: David Rose.

Citing Officer: Buster White

Sale Sharks

• Ben Curry has made as many dominant tackle contacts as any other player in the league this season, smashing six of his opponents in the opening rounds.
• New signing Tom O’Flaherty is making a strong impression in the North of England. His two tries in the opening stages of the Premiership make him Sale’s top try-scorer. He has played 156 of Sale’s 160 minutes of rugby this season.
• The Du Preez trio continue to make waves in English club rugby. The Sharks’ two most regular carriers are Dan du Preez and Jean Luc du Preez, who have made 19 and 18 carries respectively so far this season. Showing slightly more subtlety than the bash brothers, Rob du Preez has kept the scoreboard ticking over for his side, scoring 26 points so far this season.

Exeter Chiefs

• Exeter Chiefs continue to back their signature high-possession style of play, making an enormous 530 carries so far this season for an average of 177 carries per 80 minutes of rugby. To contextualise this, this is 161 more carries in total than the closest competitors, Wasps.
• Unsurprisingly, this means that the Chiefs are also top of metres made in the Premiership, making an average of 584 per 80 minutes.
• Fickle at the set-piece, Exeter Chiefs have won more lineout steals than any other side so far this season (eight).

Historical

• Sale Sharks have been beaten by Exeter Chiefs in the last four meetings between these sides.
• The Sharks are currently on a five-match winning streak. Similarly, the Chiefs have won all of their last four matches.