LEROY Houston took a great measure of satisfaction from leaving Sale’s AJ Bell Stadium pitch as a winner, rather than a casualty of war, as Bath made a successful start to their LV= Cup campaign last week.

The hard-hitting No 8 started the 27-20 success over the Sharks in Manchester, in what was his comeback game having been forced off with a shoulder injury in the 19-13 league defeat there a month earlier.

It was a perfect early birthday present for the New Zealand-born Australia A player, who turned 27 on Sunday, as he aims to re-establish his place in the competitive back row area.

“There was no way better to get back into it than by winning the game,’’ said the former Queensland Reds and Colomiers man, who joined the club in the summer.

“It was a happy dressing room at the end. It’s always very hard to go and play there and it was a good moment for the squad.’’

Houston’s injury coincided with the return of Carl Fearns, with whom he will battle for the number eight shirt, a duel he hopes will reap benefits for both players and team.

“The competitive nature of training means that hopefully we can work together and it will bring the best out of both of us,’’ he added. “There are a lot of good back row forwards around here but personally I’m very happy with how it’s been going.

“It’s been awesome. Transferring to the Premiership has been very easy because of the professionalism that Bath have as a whole.

“The technicalilty of things has been a difference, the sort of things the viewers and spectators won’t see the forwards do, like the lifting or driving that leads up to opportunitiesto score.’’

NEWS FROM BATH'S LV= CUP CLASH WITH EXETER CHIEFS ON SUNDAY AT WILTSHIRETIMES.CO.UK/SPORT AND IN NEXT WEEK'S WILTSHIRE TIMES