Head coach Steve Tandy hailed Welford Road as “one of the toughest places in European rugby”.
So there is no better place to fine tune his preparations for the start of the Guinness Pro12 campaign next week.
Tandy said: “Friday night [Leicester] is the next step for us at one of the toughest places in European rugby.
“It’s an environment that will always test any team and, pre-season or not, they are proud of their record there so will want to make sure their fans go home happy.
“Playing quality opposition in a tough environment will give us a chance to see how far we’ve come and how much the boys have taken on board, and is an important part of our preparation.
“We’ve worked on a lot of different things this summer, put in some building blocks for the new season, and this is another opportunity to see how we are developing with not just next week and Zebre at the Liberty Stadium in mind, but the season as a whole.”
Ospreys have already recorded a victory over Tigers at the Liberty Stadium this month before a week-long training camp in Belgium that culminated with a match against the national team.
Tandy said: “We had a great week out in Belgium and couldn’t have asked for more. Being together in camp allowed us to get some really valuable work done.
“We also had a hit-out [against Belgium’s national side] for some of the younger boys and the more experienced players who needed some time on the pitch.
“We are reintegrating players into training each week, but what is clear is that nobody can expect to walk straight into the changing room and pick the shirt up.
“There are boys who are stepping up and looking to take the opportunity they’ve been given and it makes things interesting when someone really grabs that chance.”
Ospreys team (v Leicester): Dan Evans; Jeff Hassler, Ashley Beck, Josh Matavesi, Dafydd Howells; Sam Davies, Tom Habberfield (capt); Nicky Smith, Sam Parry, Dmitri Arhip, Lloyd Ashley, Rory Thornton, Joe Bearman, Justin Tipuric, Tyler Ardron. Replacements: Hugh Gustafson, Paul James, Rhodri Jones, Olly Cracknell, Rob McCusker, Matthew Aubrey, Luke Price, Ben John, Keelan Giles, Eli Walker, Ma’afu Fia, Gareth Thomas.
