Lions 2017: Conor Murray knows how to beat the All Blacks ahead of biggest match of his career

Conor Murray believes there were lessons learned from Ireland’s defeat by the All Blacks, not their famous victory in Chicago, that can hold the British and Irish Lions in good stead for the first Test against them on Saturday, and his message to his teammates was a simple one: don’t panic.

The scrum-half will start at Eden Park this weekend in what will prove a crucial encounter to set the tone for the three-Test series, given that Lions head coach Warren Gatland has placed so much importance on the encounter.

Murray will be one of four Irishman in the Lions’ starting line-up, with all of them harbouring memories of their country’s first ever victory over the All Blacks last October when they met in Chicago. However, despite the 40-29 triumph getting plenty of air-time throughout the tour so far as evidence that the reigning world champions can be beaten, Murray revealed he draws much more from their narrow defeat by New Zealand at Lansdowne Road three years earlier

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On that occasion, the Irish shot out to a 19-0 lead, only for the All Blacks to fight back and score a last-minute try through Ryan Crotty, with Aaron Cruden’s conversion sealing a 24-22 victory and the perfect year of 14 victories from 14 matches.

“A lot happened in Chicago,” Murray said on Friday. “One of the main things for me is that you've got to be confident and willing to play rugby against the All Blacks. I've learned in the past, in 2013 in Dublin, we got quite a good lead and then we probably panicked a bit and tried to maintain that lead and hold out.

“Whereas looking back on the Chicago game, you've got to keep playing, you've got to keep attacking and stay in the game - not go into your shell. That's easier said than done and again that's the challenge, to maintain that for 80 minutes.

“Decision-making, execution of game plan, all those things come into it too but for me the main thing to do is keep playing.”

The 28-year-old Munster scrum-half has plenty of big-match experience in the locker, with Pro12 finals and European semi-finals and Six Nations Grand Slam deciders mong his recent résumé with club and country. He also featured on the 2013 Lions tour, coming off the bench in the decisive third and final Test, but this time he received the call to start the game and is likely to prove crucial to the Lions’ attacking-kicking game.

With that in mind, along with his 57 international caps for his country, is this the biggest match of his career?

Murray answers: "Yeah, to put simply. I think so, just to be involved in a group of players like this; the talent that we have...to get the nod from the coaches fills you with confidence.

"To test yourself against the best team in the world is going to be really special, so to put it simply, yeah."