Kpoku’s performances for England Under-20 had paved the way for this adventure. Pierre Mignoni, the head coach of Lyon, was won over by his efforts at the World Championships in 2018. Most of the spectators were. Kpoku impressed as England reached the final, which a solid France crop of Cameron Woki, Romain Ntamack and Demba Bamba – the latter also now at Lyon – won 33-25.

As he explains the uprooting he felt behind excellent second-tiers in the Saracens hierarchy, Kpoku describes the challenge Premiership clubs face in nurturing players in their early twenties. Zach Mercer is another former age group rock star to recently cross the English Channel.

“My confidence was quite low,” says Kpoku, who is still in contact with a host of Saracen friends. “Even when I was given a knock, whether it was coming off the bench or starting the game, I wasn’t 100 per cent mentally ready because I knew the coaches were probably looking at me.

“If I made a mistake, I thought I would be out of the team the following week or I wouldn’t come back to the team. I felt under a lot of pressure inside me and I also lost the love of the game at the same time, simply because I was holding a bag in practice week after week.

“Mentally it was exhausting. But, looking back, maybe it was the right thing for me because without it this opportunity wouldn’t have arisen if I played for Saracens. I’m very grateful to Lyon for getting me back and giving me back my confidence.

Being fluent in French thanks to his parents’ heritage has helped Kpoku settle in, although a nasty ankle injury on his Top 14 debut against La Rochelle in December led to a two-month layoff. Away from the field, he is eager to create a rugby foundation in Congo. Kinshasa, where Kpoku’s parents are from, is the hometown of Yannick Nyanga, the back rower who won 46 caps for Les Bleus.

Four years ago, Kpoku was invited to a training camp in England. As part of a heady squad that includes French internationals such as Dylan Cretin interspersed with successful imports like Josua Tuisova, he is fighting for silverware on two fronts, with Lyon also chasing the Top 14 play-offs.

Kpoku, under contract for two more years, enjoys “hitting things and running into brick walls”, much like the tough nature of the French national league. This mindset will come in handy with a positional fight against Eben Etzebeth of Toulon, the Springbok totem.

“I can’t get into my shell,” Kpoku says of this one-on-one. “He’s a human being, just like me. I know he’s done amazing things in his career but at the same time he’s the opponent.