Marshall had a nightmare first half at Twickenham

"We weren't in the game in the first half and that was through our own errors, two or three from myself," he said after the 41-35 Twickenham defeat.

"Sometimes you just seem to slip deeper into a hole the harder you try.

"But in the second half we showed we deserved to be here. We put on a show, made a game of it and we can be proud of our efforts."

Marshall's half-back partner James Hook was saddened by the loss on his first appearance at Twickenham.

"It's really diappointing to be honest," the Wales outside-half told BBC Sport.

The Guinness Premiership is so much more intense than the Magners League, the Ospreys didn't know what hit them Jonathan Davies

"It was a great atmosphere and a great day out for the fans but we lost it in the first half.

"We had no possession, Leicester spoiled everything and in fairness to them, they capitalised on our mistakes.

"In the second half we came back a little bit but it just wasn't enough."

Shane Williams, whose two second-half tries proved to be in vain, hoped that the travelling fans had enjoyed the spectacle.

"It must have been a great game to watch, both sides put on a show," said the Wales wing.

"It was just really unfortunate the way we started off, but to come back the way we did in the second half shows the sort of character we have.

The last 40 minutes were brilliant from the Ospreys Jeremy Guscott

"We are going to be very disappointed. You can't give Leicester 28 points and expect to win the game in a half. But with the heart we showed we nearly did."

Former Wales outside-half Jonathan Davies put the Ospreys' awful first half down to the difference between the domestic leagues played in by each side.

"The Guinness Premiership is so much more intense than the Magners League," said Davies.

"Leicester play to that intensity week-in, week-out. The Ospreys couldn't match it early on and they were four tries down before they knew what hit them."

Former England centre Jeremy Guscott said there was consolation for the Ospreys in some dazzling rugby.

"The last 40 minutes were brilliant from the Ospreys," said Guscott.