Anthropologically speaking do the French have smaller faces and teeth than northern Europeans?

[Roy]

Yes, they do. And overall they're much more gracile.

[Septentrion]

French people actually seem to be more gracile than Italians, IMHO, even though Italy is supposed to have a higher % of those in the 'Mediterranid' race. I would be inclined to say that the French & the Portuguese are the most gracile Europeans.

The French as a whole are not gracile, but rather stocky ( pretty heavy-set ) reflecting their Alpine racial heritage. Italians, it depends where they're from. See. Many Italians are Dinaro or Alpo - Mediterraneans. Therefore, they will tend to be somehow heavier-boned than the Iberians who are authentic Mediterraneans.

[Septentrion]

This has nothing to do with faces but I was watching the rugby recently and a South African journalist who is in France asked 'where are all the rugby players'. He went on to say he sees rugby players in Britain, Australia etc but not France. He was basically saying the French are not as big as he thought.

I've never been but it's probably an exaggerating. Also it should be noted that rugby is much more popular in the south of France.

Go to South-West France, this is where you'll meet big French rugby players. Try and get into a fight and see how far you'll get, when they beat the teeth of the mouth. Many White South Africans have French blood and they are as big as it gets. Descendants of the Hugenots who fled France in the 1600 t0 1700s to go there. Plenty of those rugby players from South Africa have kept their French name and heritage.

[Oliver109]

French people actually seem to be more gracile than Italians, IMHO, even though Italy is supposed to have a higher % of those in the 'Mediterranid' race. I would be inclined to say that the French & the Portuguese are the most gracile Europeans.

Utter nonsense, the Italians generally have more delicate features and finer faces and limbs, the French are not really like that though one thing about the southern French is that they are quite short generally, i think northern Italians may be taller and more atlanto.

[slaog]

Go to South-West France, this is where you'll meet big French rugby players. Try and get into a fight and see how far you'll get, when they beat the teeth of the mouth. Many White South Africans have French blood and they are as big as it gets. Descendants of the Hugenots who fled France in the 1600 t0 1700s to go there. Plenty of those rugby players from South Africa have kept their French name and heritage.

Why is their national side full of Polynesians and Africans?

[Septentrion]

[QUOTE=Oliver109;7808692]Having returned from a trip to southern France i will say that many of the locals seemed to be characterized by quite small faces, also their teeth seem smaller and less large than those of Germans, Dutch and British.[/QUOTE

The British, Dutch and Germans belong predominantly to the Northern European subrace. The French are one of the most brachycephalic population in Europe and the world.

[Septentrion]

French: Middle European subrace ( 45% ), South European subrace ( 20% ), North European subrace ( 35% )

VS

Belgians: North European ( 95% ), Middle European ( 5% )
British: North European ( 100% )
Dutch: North European ( 100% )
Germans: North European ( 80% ), Middle European ( 20% )
Luxembourgers: Middle European ( 80% ), North European ( 20% )

[Septentrion]

Why is their national side full of Polynesians and Africans?

Oh well, I'm not a racist. Some people might not think so though. At least, I never saw myself as a racist. I don't believe that one race of humans is better or "superior" than another. The reason why I'm saying this, is because for a time, I had realized that players of Polynesian and African origins tend to be overall better rugby players than those who look like me ( European/White ). They tend to be quicker in reflexes and are much faster runners than the average person that looks like me. Thus, in my humble opinion, ex - colonialist powers such as France or England tend to recruit more players from those origins in their rugby sides. I did play some rugby in secondary school, and the fastest player that I'd ever played with was a person of Sub Saharan African descent. He was so fast, at the age of 14, he easily sprinted the 100m dash in 10.40 seconds. We ( White folks ) knew we had no chance running against this fellow. Anyway, nowadays, you got plenty of non - White players in traditionally European sides.

[Septentrion]

Having returned from a trip to southern France i will say that many of the locals seemed to be characterized by quite small faces, also their teeth seem smaller and less large than those of Germans, Dutch and British.

Don't generalize it for all the French people. Be careful. Many people especially those who have origins in Northern France aren't too different from people in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany. Even a good fraction of them are very fair-skinned, blond-haired, blue-eyed (stereotypically Northern European ) in other words indistinguishable from Northern Euros like you.

[slaog]

Oh well, I'm not a racist. Some people might not think so though. At least, I never saw myself as a racist. I don't believe that one race of humans is better or "superior" than another. The reason why I'm saying this, is because for a time, I had realized that players of Polynesian and African origins tend to be overall better rugby players than those who look like me ( European/White ). They tend to be quicker in reflexes and are much faster runners than the average person that looks like me. Thus, in my humble opinion, ex - colonialist powers such as France or England tend to recruit more players from those origins in their rugby sides. I did play some rugby in secondary school, and the fastest player that I'd ever played with was a person of Sub Saharan African descent. He was so fast, at the age of 14, he easily sprinted the 100m dash in 10.40 seconds. We ( White folks ) knew we had no chance running against this fellow. Anyway, nowadays, you got plenty of non - White players in traditionally European sides.

I'm not sure Polynesians or Africans are better rugby players. On a rugby forum someone asked who would win between the best White team vs the best non white team. It was easily the White.

As for speed. In rugby there's not too much difference in races because most of the speed is over a short distance. Wingers for example are the fastest usually but even then its complicated. South Africa pick small, very fast wingers (mixed race), New Zealand usually have big Polynesians who are fast. Frances wingers are white with Penaud being one of the world's best. He's not lightening fast but he's a good size and can change direction very well.

I'm just saying that as an example of how complex rugby is. In lower level rugby there's more space and the faster players will stand out but as you go up levels there's less space so players need other attributes.