Known for his distinctive style, Wilkinson has been remembered in the annals of rugby history as being one of if not the best kicker ever. Throughout his career, his relationship with Alred was well documented.
Despite being named the World Rugby player of the year on two occasions, one area of Barrett's game where he has received some criticism is his goalkicking.
This has been shown up on the biggest stages of all, namely the British and Irish Lions series in 2017, and while it is not necessarily a weakness per se, it is not as strong as the rest of the New Zealander's game.
This resulted in Richie Mo'unga holding onto the No 10 shirt for the All Blacks for the majority of 2019 to provide more reliability from the tee, while Barrett played at fullback.
Working with Alred could be immeasurably helpful for both the All Blacks and the Blues, the club Barrett has joined after moving to Auckland from the Hurricanes.
He is going to take an extended break before his season starts and will only play for the Blues midway through their campaign.
However, the 28-year-old's willingness to train with Alred is a sign that he is making some huge and crucial improvements to his game before the season starts.
This article first appeared on RugbyPass.com and is republished with permission
