Telfer - far from happy. (Getty Images)

By Simon Stone, PA Sport, Brisbane

Jim Telfer has launched a brutal attack on critics of Scotland's professional rugby structure branding them selfish, parochial and narrow-minded.

In a vicious broadside, the departing Scottish Rugby Union director of rugby also revealed he will never return to his club Melrose because of the way they continually resisted his demands for change and then slated "failed coach" John Jeffrey, an outspoken critic of the professional district system.

Although he is not officially due to step down from his post for a month, in the aftermath of the 33-16 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Australia in Brisbane on Saturday, Telfer felt confident enough to go public on the frustrations of a job that has ground him down over the past four years.

Far from wanting to put off retirement, the respected 63-year-old, who won 25 Scotland caps as a player, led his country to two Home Nations championships as a coach and was also twice part of the British Lions backroom team, cannot wait to get out.

Sick of the petty feuding which he fears will continue to hold the Scottish game back, Telfer has firm ideas about how the professional game should be run north of the border and he cannot understand why others do not share the same view.

"The last four years have been unbelievably irritating and frustrating," he said.

"Everything you do in Scottish rugby has to go through the clubs and no-one knows more about club rugby in Scotland than I do.

"Yet even Melrose have fought me every step of the way. I have been a member of that club for 47 years but I will not be going back and I have told them so.

"I come from the Borders, they wouldn't change the day of the week if they could get away with it.

"People have done a lot down there for rugby over the last 30 years but it is in the past now. They have to be prepared to move forward and do what is best for Scotland.

"There is a lot of self-interest, a lot of selfishness and a lot of local rivalry. If a team from my town beats another team from the area two or three times a year, they don't give a damn about what happens to Scotland because they are king of the patch.

"That is one of the problems in Scotland, they are too parochial and too narrow-minded."

After eight years of professionalism, there is still a bitter divide in Scotland as to whether the clubs or the districts should drive the elite end of the game.

The SRU currently funds three professional teams, based in Edinburgh, Glasgow and the Borders and critics point to the relative lack of success of those sides, and Scotland's largely poor showing on the international stage as evidence the policy is wrong.

Jeffrey, ironically a member of the 1990 Grand Slam side Telfer helped to guide and a former coach at Kelso, has been one of the fiercest opponents of the current system and his old boss no longer wants to listen.

"John Jeffrey has done nothing for rugby since he retired except line his own pocket," he blasted.

"He tried coaching and failed, so now he is an expert. Maybe I should become an expert too."

When Telfer stands aside, it will be the job of Ian McGeechan to try and push through some of the reforms his predecessor has been unable to.

The former Lions coach has some firm ideas about the development of the Scottish game and is eager to implement them.

However, despite having a more conciliatory manner, Telfer believes his long-time friend might struggle unless there is a distinct shift in attitude.

"Ian is a very intelligent man and he is coming into the job with fresh ideas," he said.

"Hopefully he can persuade people what he wants to do is correct but it will be hard unless he can get all the knives out of his back.

"There has to be dramatic changes in Scotland because at the moment we are just falling further and further behind."