Local football and rugby being played in East Devon on the first Saturday of December

There's big match home action for both Honiton Town and Honiton RFC today (Saturday).

Town entertain Dartmouth United (2.15pm) in a South West Peninsula League Premier East game at Mountbatten Park while Honiton RFC host Penryn at Allhallows (2.30pm) in a Tribute Western Counties West meeting.

In terms of the rugby - Honiton and Penryn met three times last season in a campaign that ended with both teams being promoted. The third of last seasons clashes was in the RFU Vase with the Lacemen winning on their way to ultimate success at Twickenham.

Penryn sit 8th in the table with Honiton in 10th spot. The Cornish side has 29 points and the Lacemen currently have 18. In terms of the Penryn away league form this season: they have played five away games so far. They started with a 31-22 defeat at St Austell and then went down 21-13 at Tiverton. They lost 41-22 on their visit to Wellington but then won at Chard, 20-10 on October 26th and they also won their most recent away game, securing a 31-17 success at Falmouth on November 16.

Honiton have won their last two home games since an October 19th 22-21 defeat at the hands of Chard at Allhallows. Last Saturday Honiton beat Wiveliscombe 27-26 and they won their home game prior to that, 18-16 against Falmouth and so head into this meeting with Penryn looking for a third straight home win.

As for the Hippos and their Mountbatten Park meeting with Dartmouth United (2.15pm), today's visitors sit 12th in the SWP League table with Honiton two places below them.

The Dartmouth away form in this season is not good this term. Indeed, since a 4-1 win at Newton Abbot Spurs on August 27th they have won just two away games, 3-1 at Sidmouth in a Walter C Parsons Cup tie and 2-1 on the artificial surface at Plymouth Marjons in a league game played on October 8. Dartmouth's most recent away game saw them beaten 4-0 at Elmore and before that they were beaten 5-1 at Stoke Gabriel.

The Honiton Town recent form is not good either for the Hippos have lost their last three games, shipping 13 goals in the process while scoring just one. Last time out - last Saturday - Town were beaten 6-0 at Mountbatten Park by Brixham.

The other local football on the first Saturday of December focuses on the Macron Devon & Exeter League county cup ties. The biggest cup tie, certainly in local terms, is the Devon Premier Cup tie between Beer Albion and Exmouth Town Reserves being played at Furzebrake, Beer where kick-off is at 2.15pm. In league action there are two Premier Division matches being played with Acland Park, Feniton hosting the top flight game between Feniton and Lyme Regis and also at Glebe Park, Upottery where the home side entertain Cronies.

In Division Four Cranbrook entertain Sampford Peverell at the Cranbrook Education Campus and Colyton Reserves host Bampton Reserves while Seaton Town Reserves are in home Division Six action, entertaining Otterton.