Cockbain will lead from the front against the Sharks

"We gave them a big head start when we played in Swansea in October and barely clawed it back," Cockbain told the BBC.

"That's indicative of the way we've been playing over the last few months - we did it against Cardiff Blues and then against Stade Francais last week.

"It's how we've been but we simply can't do that away at the Sharks."

We can only go up to Manchester and worry about our own performance Brent Cockbain

Stade are expected to ease through a home game with Calvisano to win the group, leaving the winners at Edgeley Park hoping other results go their way so that they can secure one of the two best runners-up spots.

A bonus-point win would give the Ospreys 21 points, the same result for the Sharks taking them to 20.

That means that both sides will be hoping that Wasps win away at Castres, that Munster triumph at home to Leicester, and that Biarritz win at Northampton, with the latter two English teams preferably denied bonus points.

"There are a lot of things in the hands of other people, but we can only go up to Manchester and worry about our own performance," Cockbain told BBC Sport Wales.

"We know how big a challenge Sale will be. They have had a lot of injuries - but, then, so have we.