WORCESTER Rugby Club are to miss out on promotion for the second year running after suffering a humbling 42-0 defeat at leaders Rotherham.

The match pitched together first and third in Allied Dunbar Premiership Two, but it looked more like another mismatch between promotion hopefuls and relegation strugglers.

Rotherham were awesome in every department and played with a pace and power that Worcester simply could not deal with.

Worcester are now six points off the pace with just four games to play, but Rotherham's lead is effectively seven as their points difference is so superior to any other team.

It means another season of high hopes and expectation has ended with Worcester meeting their match.

"We were outgunned in every department and our lads have been put through the mincer physically and mentally," said Sixways director of rugby Les Cusworth. "We were out-fought on the field, they were a yard quicker, Rotherham were stronger and sharper than we were and I've no qualms about the defeat.

"From our point of view there's no excuse -- they were a better side on the day.

"Rotherham are a good side and with simple, direct rugby they played exactly as we wanted to, but we didn't have the ammunition.

"Right from the first two ball-in-contact situations you could see they were better and, although we could have scored points in the second-half, we decided to kick for the corner and were chasing a lost cause."

Worcester beat Rotherham back in September but then they were without Canadian number eight Mike Schmid and Samoan full-back Mike Umaga who were on World Cup duty.

Both played on Saturday and had a huge influence on a game in which Rotherham scored six tries without reply.

"We couldn't have done any more homework, Rotherham are the best side in this division, there's no argument about it," added Cusworth.

At best Worcester can finish second, but they now look set for third and face four games with nothing but pride at stake, while Rotherham look odds-on to face Bedford in another promotion play-off.