The defining image from Australia's win

A blood-stained David Pocock smiles after Australia's Rugby Championship clinching win over the All Blacks. Photo / Getty Images

Wallabies number eight David Pocock walked off the field in Sydney last night bloodied and bruised but smiling.

Pocock enjoyed just his third victory over the All Blacks in 14 matches as the Wallabies claimed the Rugby Championship for the first time since 2011.

Pocock's first eight matches against the All Blacks were all defeats before finally tasting victory in Hong Kong in 2010.

Over recent years the Wallabies have slipped against rivals New Zealand and South Africa while slipping to fifth in the world rankings.

Now they are genuine World Cup contenders after being just the second side to beat the All Blacks in the last two seasons, while also defeating world number two the Springboks to go unbeaten in the Rugby Championship.

: David Pocock of the Wallabies looks on with a cut left eye. Photo / Getty

Australia coach Michael Cheika's experiment of playing both Pocock and fellow openside flanker Michael Hooper worked.

Both combined for four turnovers, one more than opposites Richie McCaw and Keiran Read.

Now Pocock and his Australian teammates will look to win at Eden Park on Saturday, for the first time since 1986 and reclaim the Bledisloe Cup, a trophy they haven't held since 2003.