The Félix-Bollaert Stadium most recently made the headlines after a confrontation with Manchester United fans and French police.

Needless to say similar scenes are not expected in September when the most northerly stadium in France hosts England versus USA on September 8th, South Africa against Tonga on the 22nd and Ireland’s pool opponents Georgia and Namibia four days later.

The Pas-de-Calais region is by no means rugby country and the Félix-Bollaert is one of the smaller venues. Lens itself has a population of just 35,000, but it is used to the big stage, having successfully hosted games in the Fifa World Cup in 1998.

Indeed, Lens has a history of accommodating large swathes of folk coming from far and wide to sample its wares. When the first coal deposit was discovered in the early 18th century the town became the focus of an unprecedented influx. By 1840, numerous pits opened in the region until the year of peak production in 1930 saw 35 million tonnes produced.

Like most coal industries in western Europe, business has slowed to a halt in recent years. The last mine shut in 1990 but Lens has since made significant progress in other industries like textiles, manufacturing and food processing. It is a city reborn, and with 40 per cent of its population under 25, this is another chance for the northern city to mature.