I fully agree with you on the second half!
You misunderstood where I was going though on why driving 6MT is advantageous in regards to this situation.
It's not that selecting 3rd in a MT is somehow advantageous, it's the fact that
IF he was familiar with or had been driving a 6MT, he would more than likely have known the optimal gear to be in for the situation. A MT by nature forces you to be more in touch with the engine, because you're making decisions that in a DCT a computer would make for you. I can't speak for all, but I have faith that if you asked a person who takes even the slightest interest in motor sport and drives a MT ( this goes for all cars of course ) where their power band begins and ends the majority would get it correct.
A DCT would have gotten to 3rd faster and could have started pulling earlier, we both know that. I'm just saying that the OP would most likely have had the knowledge to realize that a pull in 4th gear @ 65 mph probably isn't the best choice, if he had been driving a MT. This post is a prime example. How many people do u know that would just go with w/e gear the DCT gives you?