Cats coach Laurie Mains has dismissed speculations that his side won't be 100 per cent ready when the Super 12 competition gets underway at the end of February.

The former All Black coach's team only got together in Johannesburg last week and start their preparations on Thursday when they play the first of four warm-up games to determine the best 22 players.

But Mains was happy with what he saw at training over the weekend and is confident his team will be ready. "It is great to see the guys have put in the work during the off-season," he told Rapport. "Except for a couple of players struggling with injuries, everyone will be 100 per cent when the Super 12 gets underway.

He is also confident his side can repeat their performance of last year when they reached the semifinals. "The Super 12 is an extremely tough competition and is very demanding. But we are lucky in the sense that we have almost exactly the same side as last year so everyone trusts each other's game.

"(But) every team will lose a match in the Super 12 - it's just that kind of competition. It's a case of limiting those losses and ensuring a consistent level of play. Luck will also play a big part as always. With all this in mind, I think the Cats has what it takes," he said.

Mains also defended his decision to hand the captaincy to Rassie Erasmus instead of Bok skipper Andre Vos. "Rassie and Andre get along well and they don't have a problem playing under the other's leadership. In any case, I clarified the captaincy situation with them last year. We're just lucky to have two such accomplished leaders."

The Cats start their Super 12 campaign against the Stormers at Newlands on February 24.