On paper, Ireland will head to Eden Park after claiming maximum points from their two Nations Championship games, with bonus-point wins over Australia and Japan.

In reality, there were flaws in both performances and the error count will need to drop if Andy Farrell's side are to make history in Auckland.

But there's one factor that Murray believes could help Ireland in their cause, and it's down to spending as little time in New Zealand as possible.

"Being in New Zealand, it's just all rugby and you cannot get away from it, even away from training or going out for coffees and you can't switch off.

"That's probably a good thing for the Irish lads who have spent the last two weeks in Australia, they have to fly to New Zealand and it's fairly short turnaround before you play.

"If you're talking about small 1% margins, you don't have the time to get bogged down by rugby, rugby, rugby in New Zealand."

Murray said it was something he struggled with in the old three-game tours of New Zealand that would have preceded the inaugural Nations Championship this year.

"When you've lost two matches, the last week is long. It's hard and it builds pressure," added Murray.

"But on the flip side, when you are driving in on the bus to Eden Park in the evening and it's all lit up with the floodlights, it's special, cool and it ignites something exciting.

"There's nerves, but then there's also, 'jeez this is where it's all at, this is the All Blacks away'."

Paul Marshall, who toured New Zealand in 2012 with Ireland but did not feature against the All Blacks, said it was "suffocating".

"It was funny, we stayed just outside Auckland in Takapuna and there was a wee tennis club across the way from the hotel," he said.

"It was all new to me being on an Irish tour and being in New Zealand, and there was a sign that said 'bored of rugby? Try tennis'.

"I couldn't believe it, just every shop you went into everybody was talking about rugby.

"It is so different and it's suffocating at times".

Murray said the game with New Zealand, who come into the contest with a thrilling win over France and a hammering of Italy, will show where Ireland are at as the World Cup looms next year.

It takes even more prominence given how much Ireland's set piece struggled against Japan on Saturday, despite the 16-point victory.

Even head coach Farrell admitted the scoreline flattered his side.

"Every area of your game is tested and if it's not quite up to scratch, it gets punished straight away," Murray said on facing the All Blacks.

"Everything needs to be tightened up and played to a really high standard to have a chance."

Murray added that even a strong performance may not be enough in a cauldron like Eden Park.

He said that Ireland "played really well" in the opening game of the 2022 series in Auckland, but were still on the receiving end of a 42-19 defeat.

"That's why we went in with confidence to the second and third tests [which Ireland won for a historic series victory]," he said.

"We just looked at their tries. Some were just from nothing, some a mistake from us and some were incredible from the All Blacks.

"So you can go there, play well and still lose."