Justin Tipuric: Flanker reveals what life is like inside the Wales bubble

Justin Tipuric and Taulupe Faletau have both toured twice with the British and Irish Lions

The moment Wales flanker Justin Tipuric turned up to his virtual press conference in a face mask hit home just how different this international campaign is.

Here is a double British and Irish Lions tourist with 76 Wales caps to his name in a nine-year international career.

One of Wales' most experienced players knows the uniqueness of this camp under the Covid-19 bubble at the Vale of Glamorgan hotel base ahead of the opening fixture against France on Saturday.

"Everyone knows it's a little bit different," said Tipuric.

"Even being up at the hotel, it's so quiet compared to normal, but it's kind of the new norm now, which is a little bit weird.

"It's all temperature checks and masks on everywhere you go basically. You have got to be two metres apart as best as possible.

"We have our own rooms now whereas probably before you would have shared.

"Backs and forwards are in different changing rooms. Just little things like that which you probably won't normally imagine going on.

"With the staff we have got here, they have looked into everything. Any question that has been asked, they have got answers.

"The best thing we can do is just concentrate on the game. We are in a lucky position to continue doing what we are doing within such a not nice time.

"Hopefully this weekend we will get the Welsh public to tune in and chill out in their homes, put on a good performance for them and keep them entertained."

Tipuric, 31, is a father of three and admits there are challenges with players staying in the hotel bubble this week.

"It is tough, this is our first proper week of it," he said.

"Further down the line, the longer we have been in, it will probably be a little bit tougher.

"Being away from the family is hard. It's probably more difficult for the missus dealing with three kids in the house on her own.

"Now, at the start of week, you get a bit of time with family and then as we come towards games we have to be in our bubble.

"It's one of those things. But it's not like we are not going to see family for the whole eight weeks.

"We will still get to see them after four or five days and you just have to make up for that time then.

"It's not as bad as being at the World Cup in Japan where you are away for weeks and weeks.

"Technology does help these days. It's not the same, but it definitely does help.

"It's probably one of the little negatives of the job that you are away from your family but I know a lot of people would bite our hands off to be in our position."

Time spent together has also forced Tipuric and the Wales squad to create new ways of keeping occupied.

"It's normally day off on Wednesday but we are not allowed to leave the premises of the Vale," said Tipuric.

"The entertainment committee have got a big job to do keeping the boys entertained.

"Liam Williams likes to call himself head of that committee and then there are a few other boys under him chipping in with things, Josh Adams, Cory Hilll and Dillon Lewis.

"It will be random things, movies, cards maybe, gaming, that's what has gone on in the past.

"They will probably have to think outside the box a bit now but they will come up with something."