Parliamentary scrum on the sideline

Ministers (L-R) Murray McCully, Tim Groser, Simon Power, Gerry Brownlee and Wayne Mapp will be at the test. Photo / Herald illustration

Many of the Government's front row will be in the stands when the All Blacks take the field in Sydney for Saturday night's Bledisloe Cup match.

Eight Cabinet ministers , including Prime Minister John Key, are going to Australia this week, and six have accepted an invitation to the game.

The fixture was included by Australia as part of the programme that will end three days of talks, including a meeting between Mr Key and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the transtasman Leadership Forum and a joint Cabinet meeting of Australian and New Zealand ministers.

Sponsors of the Leadership Forum - a meeting of private and public interests - have arranged for the ministers to see the Cup game.

The two ministers not attending the test are Finance Minister Bill English and Transport Minister Steven Joyce, who opted to return home early.

Mr Key and Foreign Minister Murray McCully will be hosted by the Australian Rugby Union in a box with Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Gerry Brownlee, Tim Groser, Wayne Mapp and Simon Power will have to make do with the stands.

The rare exodus of ministers for trans-Tasman talks means New Zealand will be in the unusual position of having Cabinet's number five, Health Minister Tony Ryall, as Acting Prime Minister.

All those above him in the rankings will be in Australia.

Mr Ryall will be acting Prime Minister from Thursday afternoon until Saturday night, when Mr English returns and takes over.

Yesterday Mr Ryall said it was a great honour to be trusted by the Prime Minister to run the country.

He could not recall a time when so many Cabinet ministers were out of the country that the number five had to fill in, but he was greatly looking forward to the opportunity.

He had no official duties to undertake as acting Prime Minister, but would be ready to do so "at a moment's notice" if required.

The chance did have some benefits - the billing for Mr Ryall's electorate fundraiser on Friday now features the more illustrious "acting Prime Minister" as a speaker rather than the mere Health Minister and local MP.

Mr Ryall is also hoping to be known as "the former acting Prime Minister" when his three days in the sun are over.