Is hail damage not 'one of those things'? I'm sure if was pretty frightening for all concerned, but the aircraft withstood it without anything important breaking, the crew did their jobs, and everybody was safe.
I've seen pictures of a Tristar and and Easyjet 733 that looked thoroughly shingled by hail, but whatever dramas affected the aircraft they had happy endings. Surely the professionalism of the crews in all these situations is the emphasis here?
Also, if the Captain was able to agree with his F/O that the WX radar was not necessary at that phase in the flight, how does this tie-in with SOP? I can't believe they switched off the radar just for the sake of it.
Edit: Speak of the devil! There's also some interesting images of that aircraft with some interim repairs, featuring fabricated leading edges for the whole tail, and engine cowlings, before going back to the states for more thorough work.