Lions coach Swys de Bruin has unloaded on "moaning" New Zealand critics for complaining about the Super Rugby conference system.

De Bruin is preparing his team for their do-or-die semi-final clash with the Waratahs at Ellis Park on Saturday but he couldn't resist having a crack at the constant noise from Kiwis that their teams are disadvantaged under the current format.

"That's their perception," he said. "All I can tell you is that we never moan about travelling four weeks [to New Zealand and Australia] or blaming that. We travel four weeks and they travel two. It makes a hell of a difference. Look at our results week three and four overseas."

The Lions won only one of their four matches on the road - it was the 29-0 smash up of the Waratahs in Sydney - but resurrected their season to top the South African conference and earn a home quarter-final.

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New Zealand teams have long called for a return to the round robin format, and feel aggrieved that, as conference winners, the Lions and Waratahs earned home quarter finals despite finishing lower on the points log than the Hurricanes and Chiefs.

De Bruin said he also wanted Super Rugby to return to a round robin format but that the Lions would not complain about the current system in the meantime.

"I think it's a case of they [should] just get on the with the job," he said.

"We're a no-moan team. I'm almost feeling sorry that I said it now because it sounds like I'm moaning. But sport is an interesting thing, it can't always be the ref, or the this, or the that, or the competition format or injuries [harming you]. You've got to play the hand that was dealt to you."

South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Argentina will agree by the end of the year on their preferred model for the next broadcast agreement, which starts in 2021.

The round robin format is supported by a number of teams from New Zealand and Australia, but it remains to be seen whether the national unions will embrace it as the future.

De Bruin, who made one injury-enforced change to his line up for the semi-final, said he also wanted a more equitable competition but he was sick of New Zealand coaches and pundits talking about their 'raw deal'.

"We want strength versus strength, we want a fair deal with the refs, 100 per cent right," he said.

"But honestly now every time I've read something from down there it's just reading that so I would like to read something else for a change."