Drunk actor in a rage, mainly rude and offensive when on the defensive (9,6)
I believe the answer is:
rearguard action
'offensive when on the defensive' is the definition.
'drunk actor in a rage mainly rude' is the subsidiary indication.
'drunk' indicates an anagram.
'mainly' means to remove the last letter.
'actor'+'in'+'a'+'rage'='actorinarage'
'actorinarage' with its final letter removed is 'actorinarag'.
'actorinarag'+'rude'='actorinaragrude'
'actorinaragrude' anagrammed gives 'rearguardaction'.
'and' is the link.
I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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