AT
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">If the aircraft is being flown close to the stall, with the stick a long way back to minimise or stop the descent, then how can using rudder at this time be an advisable action?</font>
Mmmmm. Read the brief. The stick should be used to control airspeed not to minimise or stop the descent
As for the use of rudder at or near the stall, the pupose is to
stop any yaw from developing and hence prevent a spin.
This is in contrast to the use of rudder to enter a spin where the intention is to induce a big yaw at the same time as the aircraft is deliberately forced deep into the stall by a sharp fully aft movement of the stick.
I don't see these two things as being the same at all.
You may have noticed I nowhere suggested you pick up a wing drop at the stall by use of rudder. I actually said you use the rudder to keep the ball in the middle - which is the same thing as saying you don't let the nose go off sideways (which it may very well do if you don't use your feet to stop it)
Regards
JF