The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 2 plus 1 plus 4 letter word AS A RULE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
A
S
A
R
U
L
E
More clues leading to the result AS A RULE
- Initially agree South African Rugby Union’s less European, predictably
- Mainly like beer, covering game
- Beer seen outside South Africa game usually
- Generally a game may be found in auction
- Like beer? Rugby’s involved, usually
- A Northern rugby team encapsulating its sport usually
- Usually like beer, which sport interferes with
- Sport found in a town in Greater Manchester, usually
- River rising round Urals meandering normally
- A game included in auction? Usually, but not always
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "in the main" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case in the main = as a rule.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.