Ospreys vs Sharks Predictions - Sharks backed for first win of the season

Marc Thomas

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Last updated: 03 Nov 2023

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Marc Thomas 03 Nov 2023

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Ospreys vs Sharks predictions for Friday’s United Rugby Championship fixture (21:35 SAST)
Sharks have lost their opening 2 games of the season
Can the visitors get their first win of the season?

Expired

Sharks to end losing streak (Getty Images)

Ospreys vs Sharks Preview

The Sharks have lost their opening two games to Munster and Leinster, but they will need to get on the board this weekend. Looking at the squads, despite players missing on both sides, I fancy the Sharks to cover the -7 handicap.

Ospreys vs Sharks Preview
Head to Head
Ospreys Form
Ospreys Injuries & Team News
Sharks Form
Sharks Injuries & Team News

Ospreys have won 1 of their last 2 matches.
Sharks have lost their last 2 matches.
Sharks beat Ospreys by 15 points in their last encounter.

Head to Head

Last season the Sharks beat Ospreys 25-10 at home.

Ospreys Form

Ospreys have made a decent start to their URC campaign with one win and a defeat in the opening two rounds. An impressive performance on the opening weekend saw the Welsh side go down 34-26 at Connacht.

Last week the Ospreys bounced back with a nail-biting 33-31 win over Zebre at home. The Ospreys were quite fortunate to come away with the points but at this early stage of the season, they will take what they can get.

Ospreys Injuries & Team News

With the Welsh side facing the Barbarians this weekend the Ospreys are missing quite a few players.

Sharks Form

The Sharks will be desperate for a result coming into this weekend. They are one of the better sides in the tournament but are not translating that onto the field.

While the Sharks have played the two strongest Irish sides in the opening two rounds, both Leinster and Munster were missing a host of internationals due to the World Cup. To be fair, so were the Sharks.

The 34-21 defeat at Munster in round one was followed by a 34-13 defeat to Leinster last week. The Sharks don’t have a single point and will need to get off the mark on Friday if they want to be serious contenders this season.

Sharks Injuries & Team News

The international stars of the Sharks will not be in action this weekend. Not those that were at the World Cup at least. But they do have quality players in the squad.

Verdict

Ospreys v Sharks

Sharks are tipped to cover the -7 handicap against Ospreys.

Sharks -7

Handicap

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