Like New Zealand, many of the other leading rugby nations — including England, South Africa, Australia and Wales, which won the 2009 Rugby World Cup Sevens — have begun to recognize the importance of sevens in promoting rugby as well as the benefit a strong sevens team can have for their 15-a-side ambitions.
The Olympics not only provided, as Mr Cunningham remarked, "a reasonable political incentive" for smartening up Atlanta; they were also supposed to regenerate what white flight had destroyed.Regeneration of poor or neglected districts is often a side-ambition of cities.
But TheEconomist had achieved one side ambition, to overtake a once serious rival, the socialist New Statesman.The communications revolution is perhaps the most significant happening in a lifetime of two wars and vast economic and social change.
"The result was tough to take against a side with ambitions to go up.
Being on the end of some punishment from that rampant Porto side of Andre Villas-Boas' in 2011 left its scars too, but Jesus shares the current Tottenham Hotspur manager's regard for the Europa League – and has assembled a side with the ambition to make the most of its chance.
Queen's Park Rangers only lasted 14 minutes with 11 men but that was long enough to reveal a side of no ambition, who left four forwards on the bench, packed five players into midfield and were vulnerable enough defensively to concede two reckless free-kicks in front of their own box in the opening six minutes.
Booked and a couple of careless moments but not really tested by a Portugal side lacking ambition.
Moldova should be obliging opponents for a side with Wales's ambitions.
Taking into account the fact Everton were missing their first-choice centre‑halves and had six outfield players on their bench with an average age below 20, it was worrying in the extreme for a side with City's ambitions.
Whatever happens in that final group game, Equatorial Guinea are already into the knock-out stages - meaning this is a side that now has real ambition.
