Strange place, Lens. Plenty of people have pointed out that it's a bit of a dump. And, well, when your entry in the guidebook opens with a description of the monumental slag-heaps piled up around the periphery, it's not like the citizens can take too much umbrage at that.
And if they did, they wouldn't get that far: Lens has a population of just 37,000. The Stade Bollaert holds 40,000 and it is nearly sold out, which means that today the population of the town has been almost doubled.
The white shirt is everywhere: flooding out of every bar, spilling over on to the street corners. Every other car is honking for England. Any French fan who does venture out is instantly chorused with chants of "Vive le Argentina". Well, either that or "get your tits out for the lads". Depends on the sex really. Being rugby fans they are harmless, but being English they have provoked a heavy police presence.
Amongst the French, reaction to last night's defeat has been fairly phlegmatic: no one I've spoken to is yet concerned that France will be knocked out of the Cup: they are too used to enduring the ups and downs of their national sides.
An early exit is not something that England fans are especially worried about, despite the strength of the Samoans. Today is about having a good time, maybe picking up some wine and enjoying the sunshine. Anything less then a 50-point victory, I'm told by some, will be deeply disappointing. With many fans paying Û80 each to ticket touts that view is easy to sympathise with.
There are more Eagles fans here than I expected. Hell, there are more here than I even suspected existed. Mostly they are students studying in Paris. Since Dan Lyle - the outstanding American no8 - retired, the USA team have slightly disappeared from the radar. Not just the English radar either, of the few Americans I approach today, none can name a single player in their team. Like the English, they're just here to have a good time. And to get drunk.
A short way across town, on the warm-up pitch at the stadium, the atmosphere is a lot more nervous. Unlike everyone else, the players are not able to underestimate the opposition. And if they know the match will be won, they still have to go out and win it. Unlike some sides in this Cup, the USA are strong on fitness and power. For the first half at least, England are unlikely to be shooting any turkeys.
Unless that is, Brian Ashton has given them licence to play fast and aggressive. It seems unlikely given the side he has selected. There will be nerves regardless, given that this is the first match. What England will want to avoid is uncertainty, seeing as they have only six days till the South Africa match.
Given how little this XV has played together. There are two big questions that England will be seeking to answer today: Can Olly Barkley and Shaun Perry firm up a partnership that will resist a likely Test against the Springboks?
And how will England get on with the tournament's refereeing protocol? Will their front row be allowed to dominate the scrum without interference from the whistle?
The fans meanwhile, who must represent the biggest economic boost this town will have until a new branch of the Louvre - inspired by the affinity between the famous glass pyramid in Paris and the slag-heaps that pin-prick the horizon in Lens - opens here in 2009, will be asking two different questions:
How many points will we win by? And, what time does that kebab shop close?
