The openside flanker enjoyed a memorable season leading Wales to a World Cup semi-final and RBS 6 Nations Grand Slam.
He battled injuries throughout the Championship and returned from a long stint on the sidelines to lead Wales Down Under.
But he is more than aware of Tipuric snapping at his heels to take his position in the starting line-up
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t under pressure, but it is great that we have someone like Justin,” Warburton told the Western Mail.
“I played with him in the under-20s and on the sevens circuit and I’ve seen him come through the Ospreys academy, I knew what a talent he was before anyone else did.
“It didn’t surprise me when the Ospreys named him captain because he is a very influential figure, a very professional guy who gets on with everybody.
“He is a great player and it is great for us as a nation to have a lot of competition for places.
“A few years ago people said we had just a strong XV, but now we have a strong 30. Great Welsh players seem to be coming through the system.”
Warburton returned to pre-season training with Cardiff Blues last week, following a five-week break.
He admits he needed to mentally switch off from rugby following a rollercoaster year but he was also glad to allow his body to recover from the physical tolls of the game and is relishing the new season.
“But I’ve come back to pre-season mentally fresh and, although it gets tougher every year, it has felt pretty good so far.
“I actually feel hungry to play again. Five weeks is enough time off.
“It was a very long season, but in the time I’ve had off I put my feet up, stayed away from rugby and didn’t do anything.
“I reflected on last season and now I’m really motivated for the time ahead.
“When it comes to playing the big Cardiff Blues and Wales games, getting yourself up for them mentally does take quite a bit out of you.
“That is why a break is a great chance to refresh. I got rid of a lot of the niggles I had and my knees, for example, feel better than they have for some time.
“I played eight games on the bounce for the Blues after the World Cup and then I went into the Six Nations struggling a bit, if I’m honest,” added Warburton.
“I played a lot of rugby before January. From then on I tried to get through a lot of physio work, but my body was creaking.
“That’s why the rest this summer was so important. It would be nice this season to play more games for the Blues and a lot of the boys feel the same.
“To miss the quarter-final of the Heineken Cup last season was especially frustrating.
“But pre-season with the Blues has been brilliant so far and I haven’t heard any player say a bad word about it.
“The culture is nearer the culture we have with Wales, everyone has bought into it. When we came back we saw video clips of how hard the boys have been working and there was vomiting and crawling on the floor, all sorts. That gave us a taste of what it would be like.
“But we enjoy training if we know that a few months down the line we’ll reap the benefits.”
