29 year-old Boer came on as a first half replacement in Gloucester's cup semi-final against Bath last weekend after missing the previous two games.
Adam Balding continues as captain, and Peter Buxton, who recently signed a new three-year contract, completes the back-row. Former England U21 player Luke Narraway provides cover from the bench.
The back line is the same for a fourth consecutive game, with Aussie stand-off Duncan McRae still unavailable after a knee operation. Henry Paul is available for the Saints clash, before travelling to the World Cup Sevens event in Hong Kong.
French hooker Olivier Azam, who returned to full contact training last week, could see some game time from the bench, with his fellow countryman Noel Curnier starting in the number two shirt.
Nathan Mauger returns to the replacements bench with Olly Morgan on England U21 duties.
Prop Phil Vickery (broken arm) and fly-half Duncan McRae (knee) are both looking to return to first team action in April, with Gloucester's clash at home to Leeds on 9 April as a possible target.
Other players unavailable include Andy Hazell (England), Mefin Davies (Wales), James Forrester (rib), Chris Fortey (ankle), Will Matthews (England Students), James Merriman (Wales U21s), and James Parkes (wrist).
Commenting on http://www.gloucesterrugbyclub.com/ Adam Balding said: "The semi-final defeat was a major disappointment, and even more so as I couldn't contribute, after coming off in the first half.
"The lads gave their heart and soul in that game, and we played in the manner that everyone knows we can do. That hasn't been the case all season, but the defeat still hurt us.
"But what better way than to turn it around by concentrating on the next five games, starting with Saturday's game against Northampton.
"You need to step back and look at Northampton. They had a win over Leicester in their last game, and will be right up there when they arrive.
"They know what they've got to do and they will be playing for their lives in the remaining games. That means that there is only one way that they'll be coming out against us, and that is fighting. We need to understand this mindset and ensure that we control our game plan.
"This is very much the business-end of the season. Everyone knows how many games are left, and we've got our target, and that is a top three finish. To achieve that we have to be at our best in every game we play, that has to start with Saturday's game."
Tickets are available from http://www.gloucesterrugbyclub.com/, 0871 871 8781 or from the ticket office at the ground.
Gloucester:
15. Jon Goodridge
14. Marcel Garvey
13. James Simpson-Daniel
12. Terry Fanolua
11. Seti Kiole
10. Henry Paul
9. Andy Gomarsall
1. Nick Wood
2. Noel Curnier
3. Gary Powell
4. Adam Eustace
5. Alex Brown
6. Peter Buxton
7. Jake Boer
8. Adam Balding (c)
Replacements:
16. Olivier Azam
17. Terry Sigley
18. Mark Cornwell
19. Luke Narraway
20. Alex Page
21. Brad Davies
22. Nathan Mauger
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