Red wall: The Lions conceded five tries across three Tests against the All Blacks. Credit:Getty Images Helped by some sympathetic weather the final between the Wallabies and All Blacks was a showcase for creative, ball-in-hand rugby. But since 2015 look at the teams that have enjoyed success at the very top level. The Hurricanes won Super Rugby last year built on a series of displays in which their defensive intensity and line speed was key. In Europe, Saracens are the dominant club team. England have risen in part because Eddie Jones built his foundations on defence, luring Gustard from Saracens.

Defensive thinker: Andy Farrell. Credit:Getty Images The pendulum has swung back to the defending side and that was confirmed when the British and Irish Lions kept the All Blacks to five tries in three Tests in June. Months earlier, Ireland – whose defence coach is Farrell – kept England tryless in Dublin. Indeed, champions England scored 16 tries throughout the tournament but seven of those came in a single game, the blowout against Scotland. Change in mindset: The Wallabies, and defence coach Nathan Grey, will need to change their attitude to defence if they want to be more competitive. Credit:Getty Images Still need convincing? The reason the Brumbies are a chance (albeit a slim one) of winning Super Rugby and the Stormers are not, lies in their defensive records.

The Brumbies have only conceded 279 points while the Stormers have conceded 436. Plumtree's Hurricanes have the second best defensive record, conceding 272 points, while the Lions lead the way with 268 (albeit they didn't face any Kiwi teams in the regular season). On the international stage defence guru Venter, who frustrated England with Italy's "no ruck" strategy in the Six Nations, has had an immediate impact in his new role with the Springboks. After they beat France 3-0 in their June series Venter modestly paid tribute to the Springboks' attack but in truth it was the Springboks' work without the ball that set up that series win. They were organised and physical and their defence actually became a source of points for them. South Africa did not enjoy more than 45 per cent of possession or territory in the entire series. In fact, in the middle Test won 37-15 by the Springboks, they had 35 per cent of possession and 34 per cent of territory.

How did this new trend of defence-first begin? Well, it goes without saying that all teams want to have a strong defence and have many ways of implementing one but the All Blacks' influence may have had a role. Defence often starts with a kick, for example a contestable box kick from a halfback such as Aaron Smith. It's a great way of getting the opposition moving backwards and playing in an area of the field where they don't want to play. And it's here where the ideas of "defence" and "attack" become inseparable – and why it is a little unfair to blame all the Waratahs/Wallabies' issues on defence coach Nathan Grey. Teams like the Highlanders, who kick a lot, aren't doing so to force mistakes from the opposition and win penalties. They are doing it to squeeze the opposition and force them into poor clearing kicks to give the Highlanders the ball in areas they want to attack from. It is here that the Australian preference for running the ball has come under such stress in the past two years. It will require a philosophical shift but Australian teams have to kick more, or more accurately, and use this as a way to win back possession.

The Lions did this brilliantly in the June series – a Conor Murray kick, a legitimate aerial contest from wing/fullbacks Anthony Watson/Elliot Daly and then a suffocating press across the pitch. Defence is now the dominant factor in high-level games. The Wallabies must either come to that party or find a way around it.