SKIPPER Matt Taylor offered few excuses for Lydney' s 53-0 defeat at Worthing, admitting 'we were taken apart by the best side in the league'.

Taylor said: "We were short of a few players and we really missed Tim Longton and Will Jones, because those two make so many tackles for us.

"Worthing were particularly good at off-loading out of the tackle.

"The difference between their tackling and ours was key.

"Our maul is usually a big weapon for us but they defended it brilliantly. We kept making scrag tackles which they just off-loaded out of.

"They are definitely the best team I've seen in the league this year and their set pieces are good.

"The conditions were also a factor. We've been playing on heavy, slow pitches but the ground was hard and fast making it a different ball game, quite literally. We didn't adapt."

One Lydney player who Taylor singled out for praise was prop Leigh Green, saying: "I scrummaged behind Leigh and he was quite impressive. He's also more athletic around the field now than I've ever seen him."