England rugby chief Ian Ritchie has hinted they may try to get Sam Underhill out of his Ospreys contract in order to cap him.
RFU chief executive Ritchie has vowed England “will come up with a solution” to select flanker Underhill inside Eddie Jones’ six-month stated timescale.
Underhill was one of Welsh rugby’s breakthrough stars in the regional game this season, although the 19-year-old from Gloucester wants to wear the red rose rather than try to qualify for Wales after a three-year residency.
The Ospreys are aware they have a rare talent on their hands and have Underhill signed to a three-year contract which coincides with his degree course at Swansea University.
That deal has two more years to run and England would have to invoke the “exceptional circumstances” clause to their policy of ignoring overseas-based players to select Underhill if he remains in Wales.
Jones has admitted he wants to select the player “in the next six months” and Ritchie has endorsed the Australian head coach’s plans.
It means England could be about to try to get Underhill away from the Ospreys and into an English Premiership club.
“There’s plenty of options, in the next few months, there’s various things,” said Ritchie.
“Who knows who he’s going to be playing for, what he’s going to be doing, where he is? So we’ll work on the assumption that let’s see if Eddie picks him and wants to pick him.
“We know what the situation is regarding the rules, there’s nothing different in that, but let’s see how it transpires over the next few months.
“I’m sure we’ll get him involved playing for England and we’ll look forward to that. He’s an exciting talent.
“It’s up to Eddie to pick the team, he picks the team and the squad.
“So yes, if he wants to pick him in the next few months that’s a call for Eddie, and then we’ll look at those other matters later on. That’s down the line, we’ll deal with that then.
“He’s a talented guy who wants to play for England and I’m sure we’ll come up with a solution that will deal with the matter. But we’ll see how it goes over the next few months.”
Underhill said in a recent interview that he would like to play for England, but remain an Ospreys player.
“If I am open about my ambition to play for England I don’t see why being tied in to England would be an issue,” he said. “If I never play for the first team it has nothing to do with any eligibility issue but because I’m not good enough. That’s the bottom line.
“I fully intend to fulfil my three-year contract with the Ospreys. I don’t see any reason not to. It’s not so much a three-year contract as a three-year university course and I don’t see any reason to leave.
“I am really enjoying my rugby. I am especially grateful to the coaches for giving me the opportunity. So I want to be as loyal to the club as I can be and pay them back for the faith they’ve had in me.
“Qualifying for Wales hasn’t crossed my mind. My loyalty is here, to the Ospreys. The club has been fantastic to me. I have loved, am loving, my time here. Anyway, Wales already have an embarrassment of riches in the back row.”
