England Saxons international Vesty, the supporters' player of the year in 2005/06, has surgery on a knee injury in the summer and missed the first three pre-season games as he worked his way back to fitness.
But a bright performance in the inside centre position during the win over Bayonne signalled his return.
"It felt really good to be back out on the pitch for my first game and I enjoyed it," said Vesty. "After being injured and having the operation, it was good to get a run out.
"I didn't train alongside the rest of the lads for a long time in the pre-season because I was just concentrating on my rehab after the operation, but then I got back into it and, with everyone else, we have been working hard with the season about to start again.
"We are all trying to get some match fitness and we are still working on things in games and in training, looking at combinations and so on.
"Bayonne was a hard place to go and play, they tested us, but it was exactly the kind of game we would have wanted. It was not the prettiest of games, but it was a good one for us to grind out a win."
