It's not a smug comment and to be honest such a trip as 950 hour instructor and a 4000 hour total pilot; I would be quite nervous about it to be honest for the first time. Airways IFR cleared I wouldn't have a problem with it, but VFR with no prior experence, no thanks. I could see myself doing exactly the same thing.
I have reservations about not only the system that put the poor lad in that postion in the first place, but also the supervision in regards of the FI who authorised sending a restricted instructor on such a trip if they hadn't done the trip before. I wouldn't have authorised him. I would ask if the supervising FI has been talked to never mind the punter.
If you see it as tosh thats your opinion, I still reackon the system and the school gave him an unreasonable amount of rope to hang himself by.
And you are another pilot that has no clue about no blame culture. It is not a get out of Jail free card for incompetence. I would argue that he was put in a postion under supervision which he should have never have been in. The supervising FI should have been in court as well.