Live Leicester Tigers v Sale Sharks: Score and latest updates from Premiership semi-final
Latest updates
07 June 2025 3:03pm
3:03PM
Ever-present
🦾 The #GallagherPrem Iron Man.
Robert du Preez was the only player in the league to play every single minute of the season.
An amazing effort from the @SaleSharksRugby 's centre 👏 pic.twitter.com/HWXl7QCL6B
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) June 7, 2025
3:00PM
Hosts' welcome
Prowlin' 🐅 @vocohotels pic.twitter.com/TDZlW4sxbJ
— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) June 7, 2025
2:57PM
Premiership team of the season
Four Sale representatives and one from Leicester:
Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Dunn (Bath Rugby)
Thomas du Toit (Bath Rugby)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Joe Batley (Bristol Bears)
Ted Hill (Bath Rugby)
Ben Curry (Sale Sharks)
Tom Willis (Saracens)
Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears)
Benhard Janse van Rensburg (Bristol Bears)
Robert du Preez (Sale Sharks)
Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks)
Santi Carreras (Gloucester Rugby)
2:54PM
Sale's secret weapon is their 'theme' for every match
Pete Richardson is not as recognisable as George Ford or either of the Curry twins. Even die-hard Sale Sharks supporters are unlikely to have heard of him. Even if the stars align for his club over the coming fortnight, he probably will not receive an official Premiership winners' medal.
But the 36-year-old has been a significant, if largely unsung, figure in Sale's route to the play-offs. He refines Alex Sanderson's 'brain farts' by creating a visual for the theme of each game. These have encompassed box-office movies, sporting icons and more original ideas.
2:50PM
Michael Cheika speaking to TNT Sports
"My desire to win has not changed."
Can Michael Cheika lead @LeicesterTigers to glory before he departs in the summer? #GallagherPrem | #LEIvSAL pic.twitter.com/38wFGZ2yu5
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) June 7, 2025
2:48PM
Full list of award winners
Gallagher Player of the Season:
Tomos Williams (Gloucester)
Breakthrough Player of the Season:
Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)
Director of Rugby of the Season:
Johann van Graan (Bath)
Community Player of the Season:
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Gallagher Premiership Rugby Top Try Scorer:
Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester Tigers) - 13
Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears) - 13
2:41PM
Predictions from our experts
Leicester Tigers 25 Sale 26
Michael Cheika has sparked a strong response from the Tigers, whose season appeared to be petering out after their loss to Saracens and an insipid performance up in Glasgow in the Champions Cup. Leicester's excellent second half against Sale, with Ollie Chessum immense, secured this home tie. Handré Pollard knows his way around knockout rounds and the Tigers wings, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Adam Radwan, have been brilliant.
I just think Sharks can use their recent defeat as a sighter in a ferocious contest that will be shaped at the set-piece and on the gain-line. In my mind, Sale have enough toughness and a touch more subtlety.
Which one of our writers think this will be the result today? Find out right here.
2:36PM
Teams
Leicester starting XV: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Adam Radwan, 13 Solomone Kata, 12 Joseph Woodward, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Handré Pollard, 9 Jack van Poortvliet; 1 Nicky Smith, 2 Julián Montoya (c), 3 Joe Heyes, 4 Cameron Henderson, 5 Ollie Chessum, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Tommy Reffell, 8 Olly Cracknell.
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 James Cronin, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Matt Rogerson, 20 Emeka Ilione, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Ben Volavola, 23 Izaia Perese.
Sale starting XV: 15. Joe Carpenter, 14.Tom Roebuck, 13. Rob du Preez, 12. Rekeiti Ma'asi-White, 11. Arron Reed, 10. George Ford 9. Raffi Quirke, 1. Bevan Rodd, 2. Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3. Asher Opoku-Fordjour, 4. Ernst van Rhyn, 5. Jonny Hill, 6. Tom Curry, 7. Ben Curry (c), 8. JL du Preez.
Replacements: 16. Tadgh McElroy, 17. Si McIntyre, 18. WillGriff John, 19. Ben Bamber, 20. Dan du Preez, 21. Gus Warr, 22. Luke James, 23. Tom O'Flaherty.
2:30PM
A place in the final awaits
Welford Road hosts the second of the two Gallagher Premiership semi-finals as Leicester Tigers host Sale Sharks. Just three points separated these sides in the regular season, with Leicester finishing in second to earn this home semi-final despite Sale winning more games (12) than Leicester did (11). These sides met on this ground just a matter of weeks ago. Sale looked in control at half-time, leading 26-16 at the break, but a fightback from Leicester in the second half earned them a 44-34 win, proving pivotal in the race for a home semi-final. Leicester finished the regular season with a 42-20 home win over Newcastle last Saturday.
It is going to be an emotional day for Leicester as a couple of club legends play their final home games at Welford Road. Dan Cole and Ben Youngs have announced their retirements at the end of this season. Former England full-back Mike Brown is also retiring, while Julian Montoya and Handre Pollard are moving to pastures new this summer. Their head coach Michael Cheika is also leaving his post but is focused on the task at hand.
'Finishing has nothing to do with it,' Cheika said. 'Being part of a team means what happens to the team is for everybody and not for any one individual. I certainly do not feel like that. When you are in a team, playing in a competition like this, and you are the leader as a coach, your ambition and hunger is to get to the top. The only interest for me is for this team to be successful.'
Sale sealed their play-off berth with a 30-26 victory at Exeter last weekend to finish third. They won six of their seven Premiership games to reach the semi-finals, with their only loss coming at Leicester last month. Sale are aiming to reach the final for the second time in three seasons and their director of rugby Alex Sanderson knows his side will have to deliver an 80-minute performance today to book their place in the final next weekend.
'I am expecting a big battle,' Sanderson said. 'They [Leicester] prioritise a lot of the things that we do around physicality and set-piece and we know it is going to be a really tough game in front of a partisan crowd. We have been talking about how we manage our mentality through the ups and downs of the game.
'At this stage of the season it is about being better at the basics and simplifying what we do. The gainline battle and the collisions on both side of the ball are going to be key, as well as the set-piece. When we played a few weeks back we got them in the first half but they beat us up in the second. A 60-minute performance this week will not do, it is going to have to be 80. We have earned the privilege of feeling the pressure at this stage of the season. We know there is nothing after this if we do not get the job done so we are ready.'
In the other semi-final last night, Bath beat Bristol 34-20 at The Rec to book their place in the final. Who will be joining Bath in the final at Allianz Stadium next weekend? Kick-off from Welford Road is at 3.30pm.
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