Just three points separates Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks on the Gallagher Premiership table and, with only three rounds remaining, there is already a feel of knockout rugby around the Round 16 meeting between the two clubs at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Friday evening.
Both teams come into the game on the back of wins in their last league outing, Sale over Saracens and Leicester over Harlequins, while also having an extra due to neither competing in the semi-finals of this season's Investec Champions Cup.
KEY STATS
After 15 Rounds of Premiership action, Leicester and Sale are split by just six in points scored throughout the campaign. With so much on the line, many are tipping a tight affair and those tasked with ticking the scoreboard over while be crucial to the outcome.
Handré Pollard is second on the league's points-scorers tally with 115, while Rob du Preez is fifth with 98 scored so far this season. Pollard is kicking at 84%, while du Preez has a success rate of 64% and former Tiger George Ford, who has picked up the duties since returning midway through the campaign, is kicking at 79% from the tee.
In almost every major team statistic, the sides sit just one or two places apart from one another except for when it comes to Turnovers; Leicester have 119 to date, while their opponents in Round 16 have just 83 so far in the 24/25 campaign.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
The clubs have met on 111 previous occasions, with Leicester winning 70 and Sale winning 36. Just five games between the two have ended in a draw. The last meeting was earlier this season, in December at Sale's home ground, with the Sharks winning 39-25.
Success for Tigers has been hard to come by against their northern counterparts, winning just once in the past twelve games played against the Sharks.
MATCH DETAILS
Friday, May 9
Kick Off: 7.45pm
Mattioli Woods Welford Road
Supporters who can't make the game can follow updates on the Tigers App or Website via Matchday LIVE. Updates will also be on the club's social media channels, including behind-the-scenes access to preparations building up to the game and all the reaction after the match.
FUN FACT
While recent history between the two clubs has been in Sale's favour, when it comes to matches at Mattioli Woods Welford Road it has been dominated by Leicester with an 82% win rate over the Sharks from the 61 fixtures played at the Tigers home ground.
