Scrum of the Earth /

Wow! I’m shattered...

You must be happy - Leeds United win yesterday and now the Tigers...

It was a titanic tussle. No tries, very few chances and neither team could grab any ascendancy in the second-half. But the Ospreys will be happy with a losing bonus-point.

Sounds compelling?

It was Test match stuff - a pure arm-wrestle. Jordan Crane's metallic blue scrum-cap bundling through the hard-yards was a constant feature alongside the athletic Tom Croft who sparkled in the Leicestershire sunshine, proving he is most certainly England's premier blindside flanker.

Perhaps the Ospreys seven o'clock alarm call was too early?

Free-weights in the Marriot Hotel car park - that's a bit keen!

Overly!

They struggled to get going in the first-half with the aggressive Tigers pack, epitomised by a tenacious triumvirate on the back-row, charging, off-loading and tackling as if their lives depended on it.

So what went wrong for the Ospreys?

While Toby Flood was imperious with the boot, James Hook missed two straight-forward shots at goal. It wasn't until Filo Tiatia came off the bench that the Welsh galacticos got going.

But they did in the end?

Tommy Bowe, the Ospreys outstanding player, almost nicked it in the dying moments with his electrifying predatory pace and vision but Geordan Murphy using all of his experience to nudge him off line, coupled with Harry Ellis' schoolboy bullying spoiled the resulting Ospreys scrum.

The whole of Welford Road breathed a huge sigh of relief?

Absolutely. Winning your home games is crucial but something tells me it's going to come down to the return leg at the Liberty Stadium in January.