CHEPSTOW Druids will go into the final few games of the season with plenty of confidence after a spirited second half showing against a strong Girlings team.

Down 29-5 at half-time the home side lifted their game to score three second half tries to finish the game losing by a creditable 34 points to 25.

With no league fixture, the match was arranged at short notice by skipper Chris Johnson to stop any rustiness creeping into his experienced side after three weeks without a game.

But it was Girlings who started the game stronger, quickly getting points on the board. Despite Chepstow number 8 Robert Johnson scoring one try in reply during the opening 40 minutes they appeared to be staring down the barrel of a comprehensive defeat going in 29-5 down at the break.

But the half-time team talk seemed to do the trick as Chepstow came out a different side after the interval.

In an impressive second half performance they scored 20 points to the Cwmbran side's five with scrum half Dave Young scoring two tries and outside half Owen Thomas adding the rest with his boot.

Chepstow captain Chris Johnson said: "When I fixed the fixture up at short notice on Thursday I knew they would probably be a bit strong but it was a case of that or no game at all.

"They started very strongly and we were 29—5 down at half-time. But the fact that we came back to only lose 34-25 tells a story, it was a game of two halves.

"We looked at ourselves at half time had a bit of a chat and we upped our game.

"We won the second half 19-5 which was a really good effort."

The Druids, which is a side made up of experienced former first team players and promising youngsters have two games left to play this season.

They currently sit seventh in the Newport and Pontypool District League.

Elsewhere on Saturday Chepstow's first XV moved up to seventh in SWALEC League Division 4 East after edging to a close encounter 24-23 away at Machen.  Caldicot dropped to ninth after losing 24-17 at Blaenavon.