I think we're missing the important link indicated in the Airbus document above. Of course you can rotate the aircraft referring only to the PFD - that's the only recourse in a low visibility takeoff; sure it's a good idea to look outside but it's not necessary.
What this kid seems to have done is placed the crosshairs depicting the sidestick position on his PFD (only displayed on the ground) at the desired pitch attitude instead of rotating the aircraft and placing the pipper of the aircraft symbol at the desired pitch attitude.
It's conceivable. What is difficult to grasp is that they trundled the 4.5 kilometer runway at max flex thrust (I assume that refers to maximum possible reduction) and only got to 175 buttons as they rumbled off the end of the blacktop. That's an awfully slow acceleration for an aircraft at only 85% of MAUW.
Should we be doing max flex T/O's out of a high elevation fields such as Joburg? Sure go for some reduction to save the donkeys & keep the beancounters happy but Max? I don't think so.
4HP