Friend wished to continue as Australia coach but Rugby Australia chose not to renew his contract after a disappointing Commonwealth Games performance, in which Australia reached the fifth-place playoff.

"We've tried to build the pyramid from the top down. It doesn't work," he told AAP.

"It's not about the people that sit up the top and play Super Rugby and coach Super Rugby. It's about the grassroots and about building the pyramid from the base.

"I actually find it stale to be honest," he continued..

"I can't understand the conference system. I can't understand how you can have a competition where you don't play everyone once and you can be the best of the worst, which is what we have in this country, yet you can still make a quarter-final.

"Doesn't make sense to me."