THESE are certainly unprecedented times and for everyone it is the not knowing that causes most concern as we listen in daily to see how this terrible disease is affecting those near and far from us.

For us rugby players, it's all about the routine and after 14 years as a professional this has certainly been the most challenging one, both physically and mentally.

In my last column I wrote about our final week training as a Dragons squad, after the suspension of the Guinness PRO14 we were preparing for our European quarter-final against Bristol but the following day it was postponed.

That seems a lifetime ago rather than a fortnight and it's incredible to think that we started that week in our Ystrad Mynach training base discussing three potential plans for the near future.

Since then I've seen some suggest on social media that the Benetton game may have been to blame for the big spike in south east Wales.

All I can say is that the Benetton players and staff were tested daily before travelling here and nobody in our team or management have had a case of the virus, and they didn't exactly bring over a massive contingent of supporters.

With all that was going on and after loitering around in limbo at home, I had the option to go west to do some beach training, mixing up the environment and going from boating lakes to coastal paths.

I spent that weekend near Haverfordwest, able to have a little training camp outside, but just days later came the announcement of the lockdown so I headed back home.

It's tough for everyone and we are all just looking for a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

It's obvious that there are going to be massive implications for our season given that we are in a competition with Italian, Irish, South African and Scottish teams.

The league has been indefinitely suspended and what will be done is heavily dependent on the various governments and the virus settling down.

Only then can we start discussing the campaign with six fixtures left in the regular PRO14 season and all squads needing a 'pre-season' after being off for so long.

We'll just see what those in charge do in the coming months and concentrate on our own routines as they develop with the passing weeks.

The routine as a Dragons squad involves a team meeting/activity every other day on a video call.

On Monday we had a yoga session but sometimes it's just updates and keeping tabs on each other.

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We're not just left to it, every Monday and Friday we send weight updates to the conditioning staff to make sure that we are putting a shift in (enough to tempt you to put a padlock on the fridge over the weekend) as well as monitoring the training routine we are doing.

I'm partial to a lie-in but I get up around 9am and I have my breakfast – I am flying through eggs at the moment but I'm also eating more bread than I ever have done before, which is dangerous – before trying to make myself busy around the house.

I've been hard at work in the garden while the weather is nice and planning a few home improvement projects.

I do a weights session every day in my car port and then I use my allotted hour out to either have a brisk walk or a 5k run at the canal nearby.

I struggled initially in the lockdown period, hammering Netflix and Amazon Prime, but now I have a structure to the day and I'm trying to do a bit more reading, and at the moment I'm going through one of my former teammate's books.

'Beyond the Horizon' by Richard Parks is fantastic and I'd encourage anyone to pick it up, especially rugby players, because it's an eye-opening read.

It shows how quickly life can change and the obstacles that you have to overcome. Rich had a career-ending injury and went through some pretty dark places after clearly not being totally prepared for life after rugby.

The challenges that he has taken on are inspirational and I certainly will look to push myself when the lockdown is over, although maybe not quite to the level of climbing Everest... yet!

My focus will be on playing and coaching, working towards my level four badges, but I'll definitely explore doing something that tests me.

The lockdown has led to financial challenges for the sport and I have been in conversations about the best and fairest way to deal with things through my position as a Dragons representative on the Welsh Rugby Players' Association.

It's been difficult and complex trying to find common ground to reach the outcome that was needed.

Clearly we are in support of helping the Welsh game and making sure each region comes through this in as stable a position as possible and we have all jointly agreed across the regions to help with taking the pay cuts.

What is important is that next time any matters arise regarding player welfare, the WRPA will be involved with the process and help with decision-making.

It's a scary time for all, especially those who are injured, out of contract and who are retiring.

To keep sanity along with bouts of fitness and chores, staying in contact with friends and family has been key, and for someone who was never a fan of Facetime I've never spent so much time looking at my reflection on my iPad.

I'm on Zoom every day with the family, whether discussing what we're having for lunch or doing quizzes.

It's been a godsend because I became an uncle in January when my sister Hayley and Matt were joined by little Evan.

Getting to see his first smile, even though it was on a screen, is something I'll never forget. I'd love to see him in person a lot more often but this is the situation that we are all having to deal with.

My parents are on extreme lock down and are feeling the same, but we've just got to get through it and then we can all enjoy time together in the future.

It's a frustrating time but we've just got to all do our bit, make a bit of a personal sacrifice and then when it's all over we'll all really appreciate being back on the pitch and cherish the little moments with friends and family.