Bristol Bears vs. Sale Sharks Kickoff Time, Lineups
Bristol Bears vs. Sale Sharks Kickoff Time, Lineups
Get Bristol Bears vs. Sale Sharks lineups, kickoff time and streaming details for this PREM Rugby clash, live on FloRugby and the FloSports app.
The in-form Bristol Bears return to Ashton Gate to open the 2026 PREM Rugby calendar with momentum firmly on their side.
Pat Lam’s squad enters the new year on a three-match winning streak, most recently a 36-27 victory over the Newcastle Red Bulls, and the Bears will look to extend that run under the Friday-night lights.
A refreshed forward pack and subtle backline tweaks underline Bristol’s intent to keep pace near the top of the table as the season turns.
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Oval insights illustrate just how dominant Bristol has been through the middle of the park.
The Bears led the latest round with 641 carry meters at an average of 5.9 meters per carry, while Louis Rees-Zammit topped the round individually with 177 carry meters and sits third league-wide for meters made.
Set-piece excellence remains a calling card, with Bristol leading the Premiership in mauls won and line-out success rate, anchored by Gabriel Oghre’s league-best 76 line-out throws won. These efficiencies continue to provide a platform for sustained attacking pressure.
The Sale Sharks arrive buoyed by a commanding 43-17 Boxing Day win over Harlequins, a response that reinforced their attacking ceiling after a heavy defeat to the Northampton Saints.
Oval data shows Sale topping the latest round in tries scored, points, carries and offloads, while maintaining the best tackle success rate.
George Ford’s territorial control and Tom O’Flaherty’s post-contact impact remain central as the Sharks chase their first Gallagher PREM Rugby victory away from home this season.
With Sam Dugdale and Rekeiti Ma’asi-White returning to the starting XV, Sale will look to translate recent form into a breakthrough result on the road.
Bristol Bears vs. Sale Sharks Kickoff Time, Lineups
The Bristol Bears host Sale Sharks at 2:45 p.m. ET Jan. 2 at Ashton Gate, as PREM Rugby action resumes in 2026 with two in-form sides meeting under the lights.
How To Watch Bristol Bears vs. Sale Sharks
The Bristol Bears vs. Sale Sharks streams live in the United States and its territories on FloRugby and the FloSports app, the home of every Gallagher PREM Rugby match.
Bristol Bears Lineup vs. Sale Sharks
Starting XV:
15 Louis Rees-Zammit, 14 Aidan Boshoff, 13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 James Williams, 11 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 10 Tom Jordan, 9 Harry Randall; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 3 Lovejoy Chawatama, 4 Pedro Rubiolo, 5 Joe Owen, 6 Santiago Grondona, 7 Fitz Harding (c), 8 Viliame Mata
Replacements:
Harry Thacker, Max Lahiff, George Kloska, George Taylor, Benjamin Grondona, Kieran Marmion, Sam Worsley, Noah Heward
Sale Sharks Lineup vs. Bristol Bears
Starting XV:
15 Joe Carpenter, 14 Tom O’Flaherty, 13 Rob du Preez, 12 Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11 Alex Wills, 10 George Ford, 9 Raffi Quirke; 1 Bevan Rodd, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 3 James Harper, 4 Ben Bamber, 5 Ernst van Rhyn (c), 6 Jacques Vermeulen, 7 Sam Dugdale, 8 Tom Curry
Replacements:
Nathan Jibulu, Si McIntyre, Patreece Bell, Tom Burrow, Jos Gilmore, Gus Warr, Marius Louw, Gurshwin Wehr
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Gallagher PREM Fixtures: Round 9 Weekend Schedule
Friday, Jan. 2
- 2:45 PM ET – Bristol Bears vs Sale Sharks
- 2:45 PM ET – Newcastle vs Gloucester Rugby
Saturday, Jan. 3
- 10:05 AM ET – Bath Rugby vs Exeter Chiefs
- 12:30 PM ET – Northampton Saints vs Harlequin F.C.
Sunday, Jan. 4
- 10 AM ET – Leicester Tigers vs Saracens F.C.
PREM Rugby Table
Team (Points): W-L-D
- Northampton Saints (33): 6-1-1
- Exeter Chiefs (32): 6-1-1
- Bath Rugby (31): 6-2-0
- Bristol Bears (29): 6-2-0
- Leicester Tigers (26): 5-3-0
- Saracens (26): 4-4-0
- Sale Sharks (18): 3-5-0
- Harlequins (10): 2-6-0
- Gloucester Rugby (8): 1-7-0
- Newcastle Red Bulls (1): 0-8-0
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