Shields to captain Wellington Lions

Wellington Lions head coach Chris Boyd has named his 2014 squad ahead of the team's first home match against Waikato this weekend.

The Lions will be led by a new captain this season, with Petone loose forward Brad Shields given the reins.

Shields will lead a squad that features six new caps and the return of Marist St Pat's first five-eighth Fa'atonu Fili, who has previously played 35 times for the Lions between 2009 and 2011.

Fili comes in for Petone's Riki Flutey who sustained a season-ending hamstring injury in the Wellington XV's 26-24 pre-season win over defending ITM Cup champions Canterbury last Friday.

The new caps in line to make their National Provincial Championship debuts include light-footed Old Boys University midfielder Wes Goosen, last year's NZ Secondary Schools and Petone fullback Sam McNicol, tyro Northern United hooker Leni Apisai, former NZ U20 lock and Upper Hutt Rams leaper Christian Lloyd, recent Samoan U20 captain and Wainuiomata loose forward Henry Stowers and Hutt Old Boys Marist wing Chase Tiatia.

Wellington club rugby try-scoring marvel Tiatia, in his first year out of St Pat's Silverstream, has been selected as a wing where he has been playing all season. Tiatia scored 20 tries in 21 matches for the HOBM Eagles in all club rugby this year.

HOBM midfielder Ope Peleseuma returns to the squad after a season in Taranaki.

It is understood that All Blacks in the squad will be available in the back half of the ITM Cup, following the conclusion of the Investec Rugby Championship.

Several currently injured players have been selected, including Flutey, Ories flanker Ardie Savea, MSP prop Jeff Toomaga-Allen, Petone lock Ross Filipo, MSP loose forward Victor Vito and Ories outside back Matt Proctor.?

The side's first match is against Waikato at Westpac Stadium this coming Saturday, kick-off 6.35 pm. ?

The final Ricoh Wellington Lions squad for 2014 is;

Leni Apisai * (Northern United), Dane Coles (Poneke), Ambrose Curtis (Oriental-Rongotai), Afa Fa'atau (Oriental-Rongotai), Tolu Fahamokioa (Tawa), Vaea Fifita (Wellington), Fa'atonu Fili (Marist St Pat's), Ross Filipo (Petone), Riki Flutey (Petone), Jackson Garden-Bachop (Northern United), Kaipati???Gaualofa (Tawa), Reggie Goodes (Poneke), Wes Goosen *(Old Boys' University), Cory Jane (Upper Hutt Rams), Jared Kahu (Petone), Taniela Koroi (Tawa) Adam Hill (Old Boys' University), Christian Lloyd*(Upper Hutt Rams), Tau Mamea (Wainuiomata), Motu Matu'u (Oriental-Rongotai), Sam McNicol (Petone), Ma'a Nonu (Oriental-Rongotai), James O'Reilly (Hutt Old Boys Marist), Ope Peleseuma (Hutt Old Boys Marist), Tj Perenara (Northern United), Matt Proctor (Oriental-Rongotai), Mark Reddish (Oriental-Rongotai), Ardie? Savea (Oriental-Rongotai), Julian Savea (Oriental-Rongotai) John Schwalger (Northern United), Brad Shields (captain) (Petone), Eric Sione (Northern United), Conrad Smith (Old Boys' University), Henry Stowers * (Wainuiomata), Jeremy Thrush (Hutt Old Boys' Marist) Chase Tiatia* (Hutt Old Boys Marist), Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (Marist St Pats), Shaun Treeby (Tawa), Victor Vito (Marist St Pats), Frae Wilson (Wainuiomata), Jason Woodward (Upper Hutt Rams).

*Indicates new caps