Sidmouth back-row forward Josh Bess has been patched up and passed fit to play in tomorrow's rearranged game away to Thornbury.

Sporting all-rounder Bess – a cricketer in Devon's Minor Counties Championship winning side last season – needed stitching up after the defeat by Clevedon two weeks ago.

Skipper Sam Richardson said Bess sustained a nasty facial injury, but was keen to get back in the action.

"Josh dived to tap-tackle a Clevedon player as he ran past and got caught by a stray stud in the face," said Richardson.

"He needed 16 stitches in his mouth, half inside and half out, but reckons he will be fine to play at Thornbury."

With problems in the backline due to unavailability, Sidmouth have called up Sam Cummins for his first game in a while. Cummins' rugby career has been on hold for almost 18 months after he suffered multiple injuries after a mystery 50-foot fall from a hotel window in Rome.

Cummins – who was on holiday – has no recollection of the fall, which left him with a broken pelvis, chest injuries and a fractured collarbone.

Leaders Brixham welcome Cleve to Astley Park knowing the pressure is on to pull a win out of the hat after defeats by Wadebridge and Oldfield.

The Fishermen remain eight points clear of Camborne at the top and nine ahead of Avonmouth, who are at Berry Hill.

It is a case of one in and one out at Brixham as flanker Kade Dillon has been signed from Plymouth Albion, but scrum-half Cory Moore has rejoined Devonport Services.

Wadebridge have a second attempt at playing Oldfield, which means their scheduled Cornwall Cup semi-final against Camborne is off. The tie between Bude and St Austell will go ahead as planned.

The rearrangement has done Wadebridge no real favours as they expect to be short handed in one or two places.

"Players know the free Saturdays a long way in advance and book holidays around them," said director of rugby Dave Elston.

"Luckily, we don't have too many injuries. We have lost one hooker – Luke Bazeley – but Matt Ballard is fit again."

Cullompton will be going for the double when they make the short trip up the M5 to face promotion chasers Clevedon.

Cully won 22-16 first time around and could do with a repeat to move a little further away from the drop zone.

"We are playing a faster game now than the first time we met, but against their effective ball-carrying forwards it is going to be a challenging game," said Cully's director of rugby Andy Knowles.