Andy-RR,
You are correct in your observations - usually one adopts one cross-wind technique approach or the other, often depending upon whether high or low wing but my comments supposed a beam wind close to or above placarded limits.
The lower wing of the Rapide was not far off the ground and one did not want too much angle of bank close to the round-out - particularly in gusty conditions. I have to admit that a slipping approach, crosswind or not, was very much a standard approach with older types of aircraft, many of which did not have flaps. The Rapide (at least the later "A" suffix DH89) had flaps but these were fairly rudimentary devices and not at all powerful. The sideslip was an accepted and usual method of losing height.
Additionally, given the restricted (compared with modern aircraft) ability to see forward of the cockpit, the sideslip, usually accompanied by a nose-down attitude, gave a much improved view forward; not so necessary in the Rapide, I admit, as the forward visibilty was good and the pilot sat on the centreline. Try a no-slip, powered approach in a Percival Prentice and you'll see what I mean.
The question of wheelers is an interesting one but in the case of the Rapide, they were very much de rigeur in certain conditions. As Daysleeper points out, when required, the tail was kept up to keep it in clean air and maintain rudder control for as long as possible - there was no propwash to assist. Twin-tailed kites were a lot better in this regard (naturally!) which is one of the reasons so many multi-engined tail wheel aircraft were multi-tailed too.
I am in several minds about steering tail wheels. In some respects they inhibit ground manoeuvering but they are better than a fixed wheel, particularly on initial take-off roll and in cross winds. There was a lot to be said for the old skid - on grass, anyway. In something like the DC3 with a fixed wheel, it was important to accurately line the aircraft up with the runway centreline (if there was one) and set the DI on take-off as forward vision was nil until the tail came up. Incidentally, we usually were made to pay for the broken shearpin following a failure to mumble something about "tail wheel un-lock" on the downwind leg.
Happy days!