Beaumont predicts a physical encounter

JOSH Beaumont refuses to read too much into statistics as Sale prepare to welcome Leicester to Salford on Saturday with a prize in the Premiership final at stake

-  JON NEWCOMBE

Only once in the last seven seasons of play-off rugby (2021) has the away team won, and on that occasion it took the biggest comeback in Premiership rugby history for Harlequins to beat Bristol 43-36 at Ashton Gate.

The away team has won only six of the 37 semi-final matches played (16 per cent) since this method of determining the champion team was introduced in 2002/03.

Only five teams have achieved the feat – Quins, Saracens twice, North- ampton, London Irish and Leicester – and Tigers will attempt to double up next weekend having finished third in the table behind table-topping Saracens and the Sharks.

“I won’t be reading a lot into the stats,” said the 31-year-old loose forward. “Leicester are the reigning champs, they have hit form at the right time and play a similar style to us in terms of being physical, they like to get on top in the set piece so we know the challenge that will be coming at us next week.”

Earlier this season, Sharks DoR Alex Sanderson spoke about how home advantage raised testosterone levels among the players by an average of 5 per cent. Heading into the final weekend, Sale had won eight of their nine home games in the league and that success has pulled in more fans.