Richie McCaw hails All Blacks' grit after South Africa victory

All Blacks captain Richie McCaw has hailed the character of his side after they overcame South Africa 14-10 in the Rugby Championship.

McCaw believes the style of the win in Wellington shows that the world champions can win games from all areas of the pitch after an impressive defensive display in the closing moments.

"It was desperate times and that reveals the character of the team when you have to dig deep," McCaw told reporters. "We just had to keep tackling and a mistake came thank goodness."

New Zealand are on the brink of winning a third successive Rugby Championship after this win left them six points clear of South Africa and Australia.