The Ospreys gave a first run-out of the new campaign to Richard Hibbard and back-rowers Marty Holah and Filo Tiatia, Holah taking the captain's armband. On the bench, Ryan Jones was included for the first time, after sitting out last weekend's win against Leeds Carnegie at the Liberty Stadium. Liam Davies, a replacement last Saturday, was handed his first start in an Ospreys shirt.

Gloucester were led into action by Welsh international Gareth Delve, who has been appointed joint captain with centre Mike Tindall for the new season, while another familiar face in the home line up was former Cardiff Blues outside-half Nicky Robinson, who made the move across the border this summer.

Referee Nigel Owens got the game underway on a pleasant afternoon, in front of a decent Kingsholm crowd for both sides final pre-season fixture ahead of the new campaign, the home side coming into the game on the back of a draw against local rivals Bath and a victory over the Ospreys first Magners League opponents, Connacht.

After some early probing from both sides, it was the Ospreys who opened the scoring through Nikki Walker after seven minutes. A clever kick through by Liam Davies caused problems for Gloucester fullback Tom Voyce, leading to a spell of concerted pressure from the visitors, which culminated in Walker charging over from close range, Dan Biggar failing with the conversion.

The Ospreys remained on top in the opening exchanges, and it was Biggar who extended the lead in the 19th minute, slotting over a long range penalty from inside his own half. The hosts almost took advantage of some loose passing from the Ospreys minutes later, Dave Atwood launching a counter attack which culminated in Alex Brown knocking-on when the try-line was in touching distance. However, the home fans didn't have to wait much longer before they could cheer the first Gloucester points of the afternoon, Robinson kicking a penalty from in front of the posts.

Robinson added another three points just before the half hour mark after some Ospreys indiscipline had seen referee Owens move a penalty 10 metres forward into kicking distance. This was certainly no friendly throwabout just a week before the competitive season gets underway, with both sets of forwards enjoying a physical battle, and the Ospreys were reduced to 14 on 31 minutes when Tiatia was sin-binned for killing the ball as the home side started to take control

He was joined on the touchline just 90 seconds later when Walker became the second Osprey to be yellow carded, this time for hands in the ruck. The Ospreys defence held firm as Gloucester laid siege to the visitors tryline with a series of scrums, Liam Davies eventually relieving the pressure with a long kick to touch.

However, the respite was only temporary, Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu breaking from his own half before releasing Charlie Sharples out wide, the winger outpacing the Ospreys defence to touch down in the corner to give Gloucester the lead for the first time just two minutes before the break, Robinson just missing the target with the conversion attempt from the touchline, making it 11-8 to Gloucester at half-time.

The Ospreys were back up to 15 for the restart, although Tiatia didn't reappear as the coaches made a number of changes to the line-up, including the introduction of Jerry Collins to the back row.

The home side's lead was extended six minutes into the second half, Robinson making a clever break up the flank as Owens played an advantage, before he shrugged off a Biggar challenge on the touchline to feed Sharples inside, who touched down in the corner for his second try of the match. Once again, Robinson narrowly missed the conversion.

As is often the case in pre-season fixtures, the second half was littered with substitutions that did little to help the flow of the game, but it was the home side who continued to hold the upper hand as the hour mark came and went.

The Ospreys cut the deficit to just one point in the 66th minute, Biggar scoring under the posts to round off the visitors best spell of rugby of the match before converting himself. It was intelligent and powerful running from Walker in midfield that initially cut open the home defence, and as the Ospreys went through the phases Gareth Owen was held up close to the line before offloading to Biggar.

Gloucester looked like extending their lead two minutes later as James Simpson-Daniel danced around a number of challenges, only for 17 year old replacement Tom Prydie to make a last ditch ankle tap that halted the winger's run as he approached the tryline.

The Ospreys turned on the pressure as they went in search of the win, and after a great break by Tom Isaacs almost carved the opposition open, the Owen-Biggar combination proved effective again, the centre supplying Biggar at close range for him to touch down under the posts for a second time to put the visitors back in front in the 77th minute despite protestations of a forward pass, before he added the two points to make it 22-16 to the Ospreys.

The hosts threw everything at the Ospreys in the closing stages, but the visitors held on without too many difficulties to secure the win.

Gloucester replacements:
Adrian Duncan, Pierre Capdevielle, Alasdair Dickinson, Dan Williams, Apo Satala, Dave Lewis, Freddie Burns, Tim Molenaar, Carlos Spencer

Ospreys replacements:
Marc Breeze, Craig Mitchell, Duncan Jones, Ryan Jones, Richard Kelly, Jerry Collins, Steve Tandy, Gareth Owen, Ben Lewis, Tom Isaacs, Tom Prydie, Ashley Beck, Jonathan Spratt