Bond (24) and Murray (28) have teamed together at elite level for the past five years and were in the winning New Zealand four in 2007.
Bond, a member of the North End Club, is one of four Otago rowers in the New Zealand team.
"I know we have the potential to win gold," Bond said.
"The expectations are on us and people want us to do well. We have had success and our confidence is high."
This expectation puts pressure on the pair.
"We want to win and will be putting the most pressure on ourselves,"Bond said.
"We have done the hard training. We just have to execute on the day."
The pair's main rivals are Great Britain's Andrew Triggs-Hodge and Peter Reed, who finished runner-up to the New Zealand pair at last year's world championships.
The Great Britain pair won a gold medal in the coxless four at the Beijing Olympics and world titles in the four in 2005 and 2006.
"We are wary of all the crews," Bond said. "It is three months since we raced in Europe. We will go as fast as we can.
"Our biggest nightmare is to get to the finish and know that we could have done better. It is something we don't want to experience."
The big strength of Bond and Murray is the hard work and long hours they have put in on the water since returning from Europe.
"We've had a heavy workload and will make use of it when it gets tough," Bond said.
They are now concentrating on speed.
"We have been fine tuned and developed race rhythm," Bond said. "We have started to row efficiently and quickly."
Bond and Murray are coached by Dick Tonks, who has a reputation for pushing his crews.
"Dick sets out our training programme and we have little input into it," Bond said. "He has had a lot of success and we respect him for it.
"We may not enjoy the training at the time but it has proved to be effective. Every time we are out on the water he is there."
Tonks is also the overall head coach of the New Zealand crews as well as the personal coach of single scullers Mahe Drysdale and Emma Twigg and the women's quadruple scull that includes Otago University sculler Fiona Bourke.
"We train with the women's quad and they push us along," Bond said. "Each training session is a mini-race and this is good for our mental toughness."
Bond and Murray have different personalities but they gel on the water.
"I respect him as a rower because he is committed to do well," Bond said. "We know that each of us will give as much as we can. We have a close relationship and listen to each other."
The hard work has finished and the pair are now concentrating on making sure they have enough recovery between sessions.
The New Zealand team moves into a motel at Cambridge on Monday.
"We have week in that environment," Bond said. "We do this overseas and know that it works."
Bond will have the backing of his family and friends at the world championships.
Of special significance will be his former coach, Fred Strachan.
"As I get older I have more appreciation for those who have helped me," Bond said.
"Fred was special. His influence has not just been rowing defining, It has been life defining. I would not be rowing at this level without him."
Hamish Bond
Rowing champion
Men's pair
• Defending champions: New Zealand (Hamish Bond, Eric Murray.
• Record this year: Won World Cup races at Switzerland and Munich, and Royal Henley Regatta.
• Main rivals: Great Britain (Andrew Triggs-Hodge and Peter Reed).
