The Wallabies are out to break the defensive shackles and want their opponents to respond with attacking rugby on their tour of Europe.

Australian coach Eddie Jones said he wanted to see less of the defensive rugby which dominated this year's Tri-Nations series and a return to the free flowing games of only last year and he was hoping England, France and Wales, and the referees, would oblige.

"We`re looking forward to playing some positive rugby and what we'd like to do is play against sides that want to play positive rugby and have referees who aren't inhibited by various factors and want to referee in a positive manner and that means refereeing in the spirit of the game," Jones said here today.

"We ought to encourage attacking rugby and not defensive rugby. Good rugby means there's a balance between attack and defence."

The balance in this year's Tri-Nations was definitely weighted in the defenders' favour with the average score per team plummeting from 35 points per match in 2000 to 20 this year.

"At the moment we've got defences dominating. We'd like to keep our defensive game as strong as we can but improve our attacking play," said Jones who led Australia to a successful Tri-Nations defence this year in his first assignment as Wallaby coach.

"As a team we'd like to be at the forefront of changing the way the game's played at the moment."

Australia changed the way the game was played in recent years with a new emphasis on defence which New Zealand and South Africa soon emulated.

Combined with changes to the breakdown law which stifled continuity, this year's Tri-Nations Tests were dour wrestles compared with the open contests of a year ago.

England should be happy to provide some attacking rugby in the November 10 Test at Twickenham, having scored 229 points in five Six Nations matches to win this year's championship despite Saturday's catastrophic loss to Ireland.

Australia opens its seven-match tour against the National Division XV in Leicester on Sunday and Jones will name his side on Thursday. - Sapa-AAP