England are ready to over-ride their own policy against picking players based abroad by calling up Ospreys prodigy Sam Underhill for the summer tour of Australia.

The 19-year-old flanker is a former captain of the national Under 18 team, who moved to Wales to study economics at Cardiff University.

He subsequently agreed a three-year deal with Bridgend and has burst to prominence with the Ospreys this season, with a series of eye-catching performances for the Swansea-based region.

Highly-rated flanker Sam Underhill moved to Wales to study economics at Cardiff University

Last Friday, Underhill delivered a herculean defensive display as Steve Tandy’s side beat French giants Clermont Auvergne to maintain hopes of qualifying for the quatefinals of the European Champions Cup.

His televised exploits have heightened English interest in bringing the former Gloucester academy player back home to England and it is understood that a queue of Aviva Premiership clubs are lining up buy-out offers.

However, Underhill has already come on to the radar of Eddie Jones. The new national coach has been alerted to the rookie’s potential as a rare talent who can emerge as the out-and-out specialist openside England have been searching for.

As a youngster at England age group level, Underhill was coached by Ian Peel, who is assisting Jones during the Six Nations campaign. Sportsmail has learned that a meeting is being lined up between Jones and the player — who sat university exams at the start of this week.

Teeanger Underhill has already come on to the radar of new England coach Eddie Jones

Underhill was born in the United States and while it is another two and a half years until he would qualify for Wales on residency, he qualifies for Scotland through a grandparent now, so England will have to move quickly to avoid losing him.

While the RFU have repeatedly emphasised a commitment to the edict preventing selection of players based in other countries, Underhill will be considered under the ‘exceptional circumstances’ get-out clause, which was never activated during Stuart Lancaster’s tenure.

There has long been a clamour for a specialist openside playing abroad to be called up, but that man is Steffon Armitage and he has not had a summons.