The English top flight is back tonight and here's how you can make sure you don't miss the first match
Harlequins v Sale live stream: How to watch the Premiership match online from anywhere
After 159 days the Gallagher Premiership returns tonight, with Harlequins v Sale at the Stoop the first match.
The Sharks, who have been strengthened by the signing of England centre Manu Tuilagi during the Covid-enforced hiatus, sit second in the table behind Exeter having won five of their last six league games. They are hoping to reach the play-offs for the first time since they were crowned English champions in 2006.
Quins, in contrast, have won only two of their last seven Premiership matches and are in the bottom half of the table in seventh. Joe Marchant is back in the starting team after his Super Rugby sabbatical with the Blues – and he’s tasked with keeping Tuilagi in check in midfield.
Yet after the longest-ever period of time between Premiership fixtures it’s hard to know how teams will perform in the first match back – the formbook could be tipped on its head.
After all, it’s more than eight months since Sale ran in six tries to beat Quins 48-10 at the AJ Bell Stadium in January, but the Sharks have won only once at the Stoop in the Premiership since 2008 and that was a narrow 16-12 victory six years ago.
Harlequins team: Mike Brown; Chris Ashton, Joe Marchant, James Lang, Nathan Earle; Marcus Smith, Martin Landajo; Joe Marler, Scott Baldwin, Simon Kerrod, Stephan Lewies, Matt Symons, James Chisholm, Chris Robshaw (captain), Alex Dombrandt.
Replacements: Joe Gray, Santiago Garcia Botta, Will Collier, Dino Lamb, Tom Lawday, Will Evans, Scott Steele, Paul Lasike.
Sale team: Simon Hammersley; Byron McGuigan, Manu Tuilagi, Sam Hill, Marland Yarde; Rob du Preez, Faf de Klerk; Coenie Oosthuizen, Akker van der Merwe, Will-Griff John, Jean-Luc du Preez, Lood de Jager, Jono Ross (captain), Tom Curry, Daniel du Preez.
Replacements: Curtis Langdon, Ross Harrison, Jake Cooper-Woolley, James Phillips, Ben Curry, Will Cliff, AJ MacGinty, Denny Solomona.
No doubt you’ll want to watch the action unfold and see who has returned from the break in the best shape, so here we explain how to find a reliable Harlequins v Sale live stream wherever you are.
How to watch Harlequins v Sale from outside your country
If you’re abroad, but still want to watch your local Premiership coverage, like Harlequins v Sale this Friday, you can do so by using a VPN – Virtual Private Network.
VPNs allow you to get around any geo-blocking by changing your IP address so you appear in a different location and can watch the same legal Premiership live stream you would at home.
Our friends at TechRadar have tested hundreds of VPN and recommend ExpressVPN, which is easy to use, has strong security features and allows you to watch on several devices at once, including smart TVs and phones, iPads, tablets, PCs and Macs.
Plus, ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can try it out for a month for free or sign up for an annual plan and get three months free.
Harlequins v Sale live stream: How to watch from the UK
Harlequins v Sale, which kicks off at 7.45pm tonight, will be shown live on BT Sport 2 in the UK. If you don’t have a BT contract but want to watch the match, don’t worry because you can still easily watch it online.
That’s because BT Sport has a contract-free monthly pass that allows you to get instant access to all four of their sport channels for just £25.
That’s great value given they are showing every Premiership match played behind closed doors live and will also be covering the European Champions and Challenge Cup knockout stages in September and October. Plus, you can cancel at any time because there’s no contract.
Clubs are also working with BT Sport to allow season ticket-holders free access to home games on the channel’s app.
If you’re from the UK but are overseas when Harlequins v Sale takes place, you can get your normal live stream but you’ll need a VPN – see the information above.
New home: Manu Tuilagi joined Sale from Leicester while rugby was suspended (Getty Images)
Harlequins v Sale live stream: How to watch from Europe
If you’re in Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you can watch Harlequins v Sale (kick-off 8.45pm) through the live and on-demand streaming service DAZN.
Harlequins v Sale live stream: How to watch from the USA
If you live in the States, the official broadcaster of Premiership matches is NBC, with matches streamed on NBC Sports Gold so you can watch them anytime and anywhere.
Harlequins v Sale will kick off at 2.45pm EST and 11.45am on the West Coast.
The NBC Sports Gold Pass for rugby is $79.99 and includes coverage of the Gallagher Premiership, European Champions and Challenge Cups, and Guinness Six Nations.
Harlequins v Sale live stream: How to watch from Australia
For those in Australia, Fox Sports have the rights to show Premiership matches and you can watch Harlequins v Sale from 4.45am on Saturday morning (AEST).
Foxtel currently have a deal on the Sports HD bundle if you sign up for a 12-month plan by 31 August 2020. Instead of the usual $74 a month, it’s $59 – and you get 50+ other channels as well as Foxtel GO so you can watch when on the move.
Harlequins v Sale live stream: How to watch from New Zealand
It’s little wonder that Sky Sport NZ, with ten sports channels, including one dedicated to rugby, is the rights-holder for Premiership matches in New Zealand.
If you want to tune in to Harlequins v Sale from the Land of the Long White Cloud, the match kicks off at 6.45am on Saturday morning on Sky Sport NZ 1.
It costs $31.99 a month to add Sky Sport to your Sky Starter pack ($25.99) but if you sign up for 12 months before 30 September 2020 you’ll get your first month free. Plus, you’ll get Sky Go, which allows you to watch live rugby wherever you are.
Harlequins v Sale live stream: How to watch from South Africa
If you want to keep track of the many South Africans plying their trade in the Premiership, like World Cup winner Faf de Klerk at Sale, then SuperSport shows matches in South Africa.
South Africa is one hour ahead of the UK, so Harlequins v Sale kicks off at 8.45pm on SuperSport 6.
There are various DStv packages available that give access to SuperSport, ranging from EasyView, with access to Blitz, to Premium, with all ten sports channels.
Harlequins v Sale live stream: How to watch from Japan
DAZN, which allows you to live stream sport or watch it on demand, is the place to go to watch Harlequins v Sale in Japan (kick-off 3.45am on Saturday). The service is compatible with smart TVs and phones, tablets, PCs, streaming sticks, set-top boxes, gaming consoles and more.
We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:
- Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service)
- Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad
We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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