Exeter Chiefs vs Sale Sharks Preview & Tips - Sale can get close in Rugby Premiership semi-final

Sale Sharks pushed Exeter Chiefs all the way at Sandy Park just a week ago. We are expecting a similar match with Sale tipped to cover the +8 handicap. An upset win is certainly on the cards.

Exeter have won 10 of their last 12 matches against Sale Sharks. They met last weekend in a match Exeter won 20-19 at home. Earlier this season Sale won their home match against Exeter.

Exeter Chiefs are the defending Rugby Premiership champions and come into this semi-final as favourites. They finished second on the table with 82 points after winning 17 of their 22 matches.

With seven wins in a row the Chiefs will be happy with their form coming into this knockout fixture. They will however be weary of Sale considering they met last week and the Chiefs only managed a 20-19 home win.

In their two matches prior to that the Chiefs beat Newcastle 74-3 at home and Northampton 29-26 away.

Sam Skinner is suspended after his red card last week. A retrospective card has also been given to Dane Ewers so he will miss this clash.

The rest of the Chiefs lineup remains the same.

Sale may be underdogs but they come into this fixture in superb form and full of confidence. Before losing to Exeter 20-19 away last weekend, Sale were on a eight-match winning streak.

It has been a dry spell for the Sale Sharks in recent years with their last semi-final appearance coming in 2006. They face an uphill battle against a Chiefs side that have made the last six semi-finals and won them all at Sandy Park.

Prior to losing to Exeter at the weekend, Sale beat the table topping Bristol Bears 22-12 at home and Harlequins 45-12, also at home. 

Alex Sanderson has made a few changes to the side that faced Exeter last weekend. Ben Curry, Robert du Preez and Curtis Langdon are recalled after being rested last weekend.