Stormers vs Sharks Prediction: This game could go either way

In round nine of the United Rugby Championship, Stormers will take on Sharks at Cape Town Stadium. Both teams are coming off a league win and will be confident heading into this game. I will take a look at the preview of this game and make predictions in the following paragraphs. 

Stormers ended their poor run of defeats the previous time out against the Lions and will hope to find luck once again. In that encounter, the Stormers won 29-10, with a strong first-half performance which saw them lead 15-0. In the meantime, they still did well in the second half, winning 14-10 despite the scores being very close. 

However, prior encounters to that win saw the Stormers lose four consecutive matches. In that run, this team lost to Glasgow Warriors, Sharks, RC Toulonnais, and Harlequins. With 16 points accumulated from seven matches, the Stormers are seated 13th in the standings, scoring 162 goals while conceding 158.

Sharks will look to proceed from where they stopped last weekend following a win over Bulls. In that encounter, the Sharks came from a slow first-half performance, which saw them lose 10-14 and win 10-3 in the second half. 

However, the prior encounter to their last win saw them lose to Leicester Tigers in the European Rugby Champions Cup. Yet, they defeated Exeter Chiefs in the opener of that campaign, winning 39-12. 

Heading into this game, the Sharks have not lost their last four league games. In that run, they defeated Glasgow Warriors, Munster, and Stormers. Away from home, the Sharks have lost three of their recent matches, two against Benetton and Connacht, yet they are picking wins over the Dragons and Lions. 

This season, the Sharks have 23 points from seven matches. In that run, this team scored 183 goals while conceding 184, as they sit 4th in the standings. 

Stormers won four of the last five meetings of this fixture. However, the Sharks won the previous time out, ending 21-15. Away from home, the Sharks have won two of the last five games of this fixture.

Stormers have been impressive in this fixture, but their recent matches this season have not had impressive results. While the Sharks are away from home, this definitely will be a tough game for them, especially considering their inconsistent play in this game. Both teams have a lot to improve on, but looking at what I have seen from them in recent games, I will lean on the Sharks to close the odds. Also, while the two teams have been decent a bit offensively, a bet on goals is another option to consider.