Three tries in the second quarter gave Leicester a 26-0 lead at half-time, but the Ospreys hit back with tries from fit-again Jeff Hassler, playing his first game in 10 months, and new recruit Cory Allen to cut the gap to 12 points.
Tigers new boy Jonny May scored the first try of the night as he latched onto a clever kick ahead by England outside half George Ford and further tries from Tom Brady, May again and Matt Toomua built up that 26 point interval advantage.
Stung into action in the second half the Ospreys forced themselves back into the contest when Tom Habberfield sent Hassler over for a try that James Hook converted. The home side then lost Sione Kalamafoni to the sin-bin and Allen made the most of the extra player to cross for a second try that Hook once again improved.
The Ospreys kept pressing to the end, but it was the powerful home side that conjured up the final points with two more tries for Jonah Holmes and Charlie Thacker, both of which were converted. The Ospreys will now set their sights on a winning start in the new Guinness PRO14 on Saturday, 2 September (2.30pm kick-off) when Zebre are the visitors.
Leicester Tigers: Telusa Veainu; Tom Brady, Manu Tuilagi, Matt Toomua, Jonny May; George Ford, Ben Youngs; Ellis Genge, Tom Youngs (captain), Logovi’i Mulipola, Dom Barrow, Graham Kitchener, Mike Williams, Luke Hamilton, Sione Kalamafoni
RepS: Greg Bateman, Ben Betts, Harry Thacker, Mike Fitzgerald, Harry Wells, Joe Maksymiw, Will Evans, Valentino Mapapalangi, Sam Harrison, Joe Ford, Nick Malouf, Charlie Thacker, Matt Smith, Jonah Holmes, , Mathew Tait, Ben White
Ospreys: Dan Evans, Keelan Giles, Cory Allen, Owen Watkin, Jeff Hassler; James Hook, Tom Habberfield (captain); Paul James, Sam Parry, Ma’afu Fia, Bradley Davies, Rory Thornton, Rob McCusker, Olly Cracknell, Dan Baker
Reps: Ifan Phillips, Nicky Smith, Rhodri Jones, Lloyd Ashley, Adam Beard, Matthew Aubrey, Joe Thomas, Ben John, Gareth Thomas, Sam Cross, Reuben Morgan-Williams, Tom Williams, Jay Baker, James Ratti
